Pokemon: The Kanto Adventures
by potat lasaro
Summary: Join Nick as he travels across Kanto with his friends on his quest to become the greatest pokemon trainer. He will have to overcome many hard and difficult experiences, strong rivals and gym leaders. See how he rises above the rest to achieve his dream. Please review, bad with summaries. This is a multi-regional story. Takes place in the anime world.
1. The Journey Begins

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Pokemon.**

Character thoughts are italicized.

Enjoy, and please review.

* * *

It was like any other day in Pallet Town, the children were playing while the adults worked. Today, was slightly different because four young children were of age to become pokemon trainers.

 _I wonder if Ash is home?_ thought a young child as he awoke in his bed. The kid quickly got dressed and ran out the front door yelling "mom, dad, I'm heading over to Ash's house!" He reached his friend's house in minutes and began knocking on the door until Delia answered. "Oh, hi Ash's mom. Is Ash home?"

"Sorry Nick, he just left this morning on his pokemon adventure."

"What!? We were supposed to start together. He knows I'm not 10 for another month." Nick began, "Then again, I'd leave too if I was in his situation. Uhm, Ms. Ketchum, do you ming giving Ash a message next time he calls home? Just tell him I'll be waiting at the Kanto league for our battle." Nick told his friend's mother before leaving.

The next four weeks went by slowly, as Ash was Nick's only friend in town. Nick spent most of his time at Professor Oak's laboratory, learning all about pokemon in general.

Finally the night came. _Tomorrow I can start my very own journey._ Nick thought with excitement. _Most trainers won't know who to pick, but I've already decided on Charmander._ Nick then fell into a deep sleep, not waking until the next morning. Unfortunately, Nick had set the wrong time for his alarm clock and was going to be late. He quickly changed clothes and then packed a bag with everything he needed. He ran out the door yelling "Mom, Dad, I'm off to Professor Oak's to start my journey." And with a bang of the door closing, Nick was off.

The young trainer-to-be raced through town, hoping that a Charmander was still available. He reached the Professor's labrotory in about ten minutes and ran in. "Sorry I'm late, but I'm here now." Nick said between breaths.

"Well, if nerd boy isn't here." A young beginning trainer said. In fact three of them were standing in front of Nick, each with a pokeball and a pokedex.

"Now Zack, don't be rude inside my house." Professor Oak said, scolding the boy. "Nick, I'm glad you could make it. You already know Zack I'm assuming, but have you met Nate and Ebony? They're both starting their journeys as well." The professor finished as the three new trainers left his labratory.

"So, there aren't any pokemon left I'm assuming." Nick said in defeat.

"You are just like you're friend Ash, you know that? He was late as well when he started a month ago. Now, your in luck, I just recently received a pokemon for research purposes. The truth is, it would be better if it was able to see the world." The professor said as he opened a pokeball, releasing a dog like creature. "This is an Eevee. Nick, I'd like you to take it and travel the world. Now here are your pokeballs and pokedex. Once you reach the next town please call both your parents and myself."

With that Nick and Eevee were off. Nick returned his friend to it's pokeball as he pulled out hi spokedex and scaned it. "Lets see, you know tackle and sand-attack." He said as he recalled Eevee. "We're going to be great friends Eevee, I can just tell. I don't really have many friends, no matter how hard I tried, no one wanted to be friends with me. They all thought I was strange, being as smart as I am. My parents said they were jealous, but I don't know. Anyways, enough of that, we're going to catch many pokemon which will be our friends." The boy said as he ran off to route 1.

It took the pair nearly the whole day, but they finally reached Viridian City. Remembering what Professor Oak told him Nick looked for the pokemon center so he could call home. After a few minutes he found the center and asked Nurse Joy to heal Eevee. Even though they didn't encounter any wild pokemon, it was better to be safe than sorry. After Eevee was returned to Nick he called home and introduced Eevee. After telling about his first day he hung up and called the professor.

"So, you've already reached Viridian after only one day. I am impressed, you're moving at the same pace as the last group of new trainers that left last month. I have to get going though, good luck and keep in contact." The professor said as he hung up.

The two friends spent the night in one of rooms that the center provided to traveling trainers. Nick took this time to reorganize his bag after his rushed packing. Overall he packed enough clothes, his toothbrush, an extra pair of shoes, a sleeping bag and a book on pokemon research. He didn't care if fun of his love for knowledge, he was going to be himself on this journey. After a night of sleeping, sunlight broke through the window waking Nick and Eevee. "Well, we better get going now." Nick said as he grabbed his bag and recalled Eevee to it's ball. He then left the center for the Viridian forest where he hoped o catch his first pokemon.

As he walked deeper into the woods he didn't manage to find one new pokemon at all. In fact, he hadn't met one person at all. "Hey you!" A voice rung through the forset as a boy charged at Nick. "Are you from Pallet Town, cause if you are lets battle." He said as he raised a pokeball. "Pinsir, stand by me in battle." A large beetle like creature with pinsirs on its head appeared from the pokeball.

"If that's what you want then. Eevee, I choose you!" Nick called out as his trusted friend appeared. "Use sand-attack!" Eevee started kicking sand into the enemies eyes, bluring his vision. "Good, now use tackle while he can't see." Eevee charged towards Pinsir with all it's might.

"Harden!" The bug type shined white as Eevee just bounced off of him. "Now, vicegrip!" The pinsirs on it's head moved open and then shut when Eevee became trapped in them. As the pressure increased, so did Eevee's pain until it finally fainted. "Now send out your next one." The boy said full of energy.

"Eevee return." Nick said calling his partner back. "Actually, Eevee is my only pokemon, we just began our journey together yesterday. But, why are you here in the forest and who are you?"

"Now isn't a good time. Follow me and we'll heal your friend." The boy said as he motioned for Nick to follow. After walking for about 15 minutes the duo came upon a cabin. "This is where I've been staying. They rent them in the forest for visitors." The two walked into the cabin where immediately Eevee's injuries were taken care of. "My name's Samurai. You see, I come from a village not far from here. If you head west and climb the mountains you'll reach Clear Village. It just recently had a gym approved by the league. The reason I'm here is because I want to spread awareness for bug type pokemon, and to do so, I need a few more."

"Okay, but Samurai, why bug type it has so many weaknesses."

"Exactly, people underestimate them. That and everyone in Clear Village love bug type. When a child becomes of age to be a trainer thry are given a choice between venonat, Pinsir, or Scyther. All three are bug type pokemon who are fearsome. But now I'm curious, why are you traveling?" Samurai asked.

"Well, I'm travelling to become a great pokemon trainer one day." Nick said with a tone of passion in his voice.

"I see, so you'll be doing the gym challenge then? I'll lead you to my village so you can be it's gym's first challenger." Samurai said as he stood up and got ready to leave. "Come on, it's only an hour hike from here."

As the duo were walking Nick saw something that caught his eye, it was his first wild pokemon and it was a Weedle. He knew he had to catch it. "Eevee, I choose you". He called as Eevee burst from it's pokeball. "Use tackle." Eevee ran right into the bug pokemon sending it flying, but the Weedle got right up and fired a poisen sting attack. "Quick use sand-attack to block it." The attack worked perfectly as the poisen sting hit the sand being thrown instead of Eevee. "Alright, lets finish this, Eevee tackle!" Eevee once again collided with the Weedle, but this time it didn't get up. "Pokeball go." Nick said as he threw the pokeball. He watched as the ball moved back and forth until it signaled that the capture was a success. "Alright! That was our first catch!" Nick yelled with excitement as he and Eevee celebrated the catch.

 _They are really good for beginners._ Samurai thought to himself as he began walking again. _Not many trainers would have thought to use sand-attack as they did. I might hang around a while. Who knows, maybe I'll learn something interesting._

* * *

 **A/N: I will be doing team updates down here. This way you know their pokemon on hand and their current movepools.**

 **Nick: Eevee-Tackle, sand-attack**

 **Weedle-poisen sting.**

 **Samurai: Pinsir- vice grip, harden, focus energy**

 **Metapod- string shot, harden**


	2. Welcome to Clear Village!

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Pokemon.**

Character thoughts are italicized.

* * *

As the duo continued their trek through the Viridian forest, Nick noticed the changing scenery. The forest was growing smaller and in its place, a mountain range was in its place. "Hey Samurai, how much further do we have?"

"Not much further, but there is no need to rush. Enjoy the scenery, even if we reach the village, you can't challenge the gym for another three days." Samurai responded.

"What!? Why three days?"

"I told you, the gym has only recently been approved. The league won't receive the paperwork for at least another two days. Use this time to train and bond with your pokemon." Samurai recommended to the young trainer.

After a few more minutes, there were no trees at all. All that stood before them was a bridge that would allow them to pass over a crystal clear river that ran through the valley. Nick had never seen such clear water and was surprised by it. "I see you've found the river. It's where our village gets its name from. You see, the river runs down across the Indigo Plateau and continues until it arrives in this valley. Its our only water supply, so we make sure it is always clean. Since we just crossed the bridge, we should be there in about five minutes or so."

"Really? Lets get moving." And with that Nick was off running while Samurai only sighed. Open reaching the village Nick was in awe. The village was surrounded by the mountains except for the path that he had just arrived from. The river was also running down the hill that Nick stood on and continued until it reached the center of town, where it turned into a lake. It felt like the place was frozen in time as the houses were all using the shoin-zukuri style from ancient times. He had only seen houses like these in old history books he had read. The houses had no real doors, only sliding screens and the rooms were open, no doors were on the inside either from what he could see. What he did notice though, was that the floors were covered in mats.

"So, you see how we live, you like the style? Our homes my be different, but the hospitality is the same. Let me show you my house, you can stay until your gym battle." Samurai offered as he led the way. After a short walk they came to the largest house in the village. Nick couldn't believe how large it was, the only building that Nick thought could rivil its size was Professor Oak's. When they entered the house Nick was surprised by the inside, instead of the classic design of the other houses, this one was filled with computers and different machines that Nick had only seen at Oak's lab. "Father, I'm home! I also have a friend with me!"

 _Could it be that Samurai's father is this village's professor?_ Nick thought to himself while a rather large man in a white lab coat walked around the corner alongside a slightly younger, but still physically imposing man who wore the same armor as Samurai.

"Ah, Samurai, you're back." The man spoke towards the trainer, "I see you brought a visitor. Hello, I'm professor Toki, I'm known around this village as a leading expert on all things related to bug type pokemon. My sons take after me, you've already met Samurai but let me introduce my other son." Professor Toki said as he pointed towards the tall young man. His hair was tied back into a ponytail, and the rest of his body was covered in armor. "This is Endo, he's one of the region's best when it comes to using bug types in battle. In fact, he was just recently approved to open a gym in our village. Just last week he passed the league exam."

Now it was Nick's turn to be surprised, he could take Samurai being the son of a professor, but being the brother of his town's gym leader as well. This was too much at once. "You lead me to this village and don't even tell me that you're related to the professor and gym leader!?" He asked Samurai.

"I don't see it as a big deal. As you saw on the way over, the village isn't too large, so practically everyone is family here. I never thought to think from an outsider's point of view." He said as he laughed nervously. "Anyway, Nick has come looking to challenge the gym. I already told him that it won't be open for three days, so Endo, in three days will you allow him to challenge your gym?"

"I can do even better. In two days I'll accept your challenge. The paperwork won't be in by then, but news of the first gym battle should take about two days to reach Viridian forest. Besides my father's lab, there is not one phone within the entire village. You could say we don't move along with the times." Endo told the young traveler with a smile. The way he spoke reminded Nick of a humble warrior, one who knew his strength but didn't show it off unless necessary.

The sun was starting to set upon the valley, so Samurai showed Nick towards the guest room where he would be staying for the next few days. "Nick, I'm not saying this because he's my brother, but Endo is extremely strong, I can show you a place along the river outside of town tomorrow, a place where you can train in solitude." Samurai told his new friend as he slid the screen shut as he walked out of the room.

The next morning Nick was up before the sun had risen, he was going to train, and he was going to use all the time available to him. He immediately went to get Samurai up who at first yelled at Nick for waking him so early, but when he saw the look in Nick's eyes he grabbed his shoes and showed Nick a spot to train. The location was about a ten minute walk from the outskirts of town. On one side, he had the mountain range, while on the other was the edge of the Viridian forest. Running in between the two was the river that ran down into the village. "Eevee, Weedle, come on out!" He called as his two pokemon appeared from their balls. "Today, we'll be training for our first gym match. So, I want to work on Eevee's speed, and Weedle's accuracy." He told his two pokemon. He had them face each other, as Weedle was to try and hit Eevee with poisen sting and string shot, while Eevee was to dodge them. The training was going well as Eevee managed to dodge every attack in the beginning, but as they continued Nick noticed he was having a hard time. But, it wasn't from fatigue, instead Weedle was launching his attacks at faster rates as they continued.

"Ee.. Eevee." Eevee said, panting. He was exhausted having done this for over an hour now.

"Alright, lets rest a while and then Eevee, I'm going to help you learn dig. This way you not only have a way to dodge, but also attack." As Nick was speaking a stream of bubbles hit the trio who were trying to rest. Nick immediately pulled out his pokedex and scanned the pokemon, which was none other than a Krabby. _Maybe it will leave us alone if we leave._ But when they tried to leave Krabby only attacked again. _I didn't want to battle it, Eevee is too tired to fight and that leaves only Weedle._ Nick made up his mind as he saw another stream of bubbles coming at them. "Weedle, use poison sting on those bubbles." Weedle lowered its head and fired off multiple attacks, but while they were distracted Krabby had jumped behind everyone and was about to jump on Weedle. "That must be its stomp attack. Weedle, rool to your left, quick." Weedle did as it was told and managed to avoid the attack. "Good, now use poison sting before it can recover." The attack landed and pushed Krabby backwards, unfortunately some of the needles hit a rotten tree which was now about to crush Krabby.

Weedle, thinking on instinct used string shot on the tree, holding it up. Unfortunately the tree was heavier than he thought and was losing his grip. That's when he started glowing. "It can't be." Nick said as he watched Weedle evolve into Kakuna. With his new strength he was able to hold the tree up long enough for Krabby to get a safe distance away.

Seeing how Kakuna helped him, even though he attacked them, Krabby wanted to continue fighting and launched a stomp attack again. This time Kakuna flashed white as Krabby bounced off of it. "That must be harden, it's just like when Pinsir used it. Now, use poison sting." The attack was a direct hit, causing Krabby to become disoriented. "Now's my chance, pokeball go." Nick threw the pokeball and watched as Krabby was pulled into the ball and watched as it rocked back and forth until it stopped and signaled that Krabby was caught. "We caught, a Krabby." Nick yelled in excitement as his pokemon joined in.

"Kaku."

"Eev."

Nick realized everyone was tired and figured they would head into the village for a few hours and get something for lunch before resuming their training.

Two days passed by in a flash, each day the now group of four were out training from sunrise until sunset, trying to become stronger until the day came for the gym battle.

"Today is the first gym battle in the history of Clear Village gym." Samurai said, he was the acting referee for today as the official one wasn't to start until tomorrow. The gym looked just like the houses from the outside, but on the inside there was only one large room where the battlefield was located. The area was just a plain wooden floor with the same mats that were in the houses covering the floor. "With it comes Nick from Pallet Town, challenging the gym leader Endo. This match will be a two-on-two and with the rules of this gym, there will be no substations. Trainers, choose your first pokemon."

"Venonat, serve me in this time of battle." Endo said as the purple bug type appeared on the battlefield

"Eevee, I choose you." Nick said as he tossed Eevee's pokeball onto the battlefield and watched as the dog like normal type appeared.

 _I hope we're ready._

* * *

 **Team:**

 **Nick: Eevee- tackle, sand-attack**

 **Kakuna- poison sting, string shot, harden**

 **Krabby- bubble, stomp**


	3. Clear Village Gym Match

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Pokemon.**

Character thoughts are italicized.

* * *

"Begin!" Samurai yelled towards the two trainers.

"Eevee, let's start with tackle." Nick called out as his pokemon charged towards the opponent.

"Venonat, counter with headbut." Endo told his pokemon. The two collided heads, neither side giving an inch until Venonat began to overpower Eevee, sending him backwards. "Now, use psybeam!"

Nick thought to himself on what to do to stop this attack. He didn't know if sand-attack was going to get the job done, but he had no other choices. "Counter with sand-attack!" Eevee kicked the sand up infront of himself, creating a wall of sand protecting himself. _What can we do? Our only attack isn't any good here, and we can only be on the defensive for so long. If only Eevee learned how to use dig._

* * *

Flashback:

"No Eevee, it's not like when you use sand-attack. You have to dig into the ground, not just kick it up." Nick began telling his pokemon.

"Ee.." It replied back, tilting its head to the side.

"Ok, I'll show you." Nick told him as he got into the dirt and started digging ferociously. "See, that's how to dig." Nick hoped the visual would help, but Eevee still repeated his previous action of just kicking the dirt up.

* * *

"If you're just going to stand there, we'll finish our fight here." Endo yelled towards Nick. "Venonat, double team." Clones of Venonat appeared, surrounding Eevee in a circle. "Now when we attack, you won't be able to block it. Now, use psymeam." All the Venonats launched the psychic beam towards Eevee.

"Its now or never. Eevee, dig underground, quickly." Eevee did as he was told, using his front paws to dig deeper and deeper into the ground until he vanished from view. The psybeam attack continued though, hitting the Venonats, including the real one, doing some decent damage. "Alright, it worked."

"Venonat, stay prepared, he could reappear anywhere on the field." Endo began, but before he could continue the floor was cracking under Venonat until Eevee came flying up. The impact from Eevee caused significant damage and Venonat was now fatigued.

"Quick, before he recovers, use tackle." Eevee charged towards the bug type and hit him hard in the chest, knocking him out.

"Venonat is unable to battle. The winner is Eevee." Samurai said.

"Come fight by my side, Beedrill." Endo called out as he tossed the pokeball. Out came a gigantic bee pokemon. "Use poison sting." The needles were faste than those of Nick's Kakuna.

"Eevee, sand-attack!" But even with the wall of sand, the needles flew through it, hitting Eevee. "Eevee, are you ok?"

"Eev." The pokemon said as he got back on his feet.

"Alright, use tackle." Eevee charged towards the giant bee ready to hit it hard.

"Beedrill, double team, then poison sting." Endo told his pokemon calmly. The bee did as he was told, and instead of making contact with his opponent, Eevee went flying through one of the copies. Before he could regain his footing he was hit with countless poison sting attacks.

"Eevee, can you continue?" Nick asked, hoping to see his pokemon appear unharmed, but it wouldn't be the case as following the smoke fading everyone found Eevee fainted on the ground.

"Eevee is unable to battle, the winner is Beedrill. Both sides are down to their last pokemon." Samurai said.

 _What should I do? Krabby isn't fast enough to battle Beedrill, but Kakuna can't even move. Out of the two I don't know who to use._ Nick thought as he pondered on who to use. "Alright, I've got it. Kakuna, I choose you." Nick yelled as he tossed the pokeball into the battlefield.

"Interesting." Endo began, "You plan to counter speed with a pokemon that can't even move? Where's the logic behind that. Beedrill, twinneedle attack." Beedrill charged towards the stationary pokemon aiming it's two stingers at it, ready to hit it with them.

"Okay, Kakuna, aim for the ceiling. String shot." Kakuna did as he was told and the string stuck to the ceiling, allowing him to swing away from the attack.

"Running away because you're scared? Well, we can keep chasing you. Beedrill, keep using twinneedle until you hit." Endo yelled to Beedrill. This continued for a while with Beedrill continuing to miss its attack while Kakuna kept doding them. After a while Beedrill stopped moving. "Beedrill, what's wrong, are you tired?"

"Actually, you fell for our trap. We weren't running, we were creating a spider web to trap you in." Nick told Endo as the duo looked up to see the string shot in a pattern that resembled a spider's web. "Now, use a string shot to catapult yourself into Beedrill." Kakuna shot the attack once more and began rocking back and forth until it gathered enough momentum and launched itself at Beedrill.

"Beedrill, stop it with twinneedle." All Beedrill could do was raise its stingers as Kakuna collided with them. The collision caused Kakuna's shell to crack, and as the crack grew larger, a Beedrill flew out of it.

"Kakuna, you evolved. Let's finish this off, and quickly." Nick called out in excitement. "Use twinneedle." Beedrill flew up to Endo's Beedrill and landed a direct hit on the bee pokemon. This also freed it from its trap, but the pokemon only fell to the floor. "Don't let him recover. Use poison sting." The poisonous needles flew from Beedrill's stingers, colliding with the opponent. No one knew if the battle was still occuring until the smoke cleared.

"Beedrill is unable to battle, the winner of this gym match is Nick from Pallet Town." Samurai said,trying to sound professional.

Endo waled up to Nick to congratulate him on winning the Forest badge. Endo handed the badge over to Nick, who immediately placed it in his badge case. Nick noticed that the badge was shapped like a tree, with a caterpie climbing up the front of it. "Nick." Endo said "You really got me back there, thinking to use string shot in a way to avoid attacks and trap your enemy. You are deserving of the tital of being the first to win at this gym. Now,if you'll excuse me, I must begoing." With that Endo left the room, leaving only Samurai with Nick.

"Hey, I've never seen anyone beat my brother before. I could tell he was surprised by your web you created. That really was cleaver of you. Anyways, the closet gym from here is Pewter City." Samurai then became silent for a minute. "Nick,watching this battle made me realize something. That if I truely want to become the greatest that I can be, then I have to leave these woods and travel further into Kanto. I was wondering, if you don't mind, can I travel with you on your journey?"

Nick, seeing the trainer's nervousness decided to give him a hard time. "Well, I don't know. I mean honestly this was going to be a journey that only I would make, so that I could look back and see how I changed." Seeing the response, Nick decided to end the charade and give him the real answer. "I'm just messing with you, its always better to travel with friends instead of by yourself.

"Nick, on this journey I will become stronger, and then we will have a rematch, only this time it wont be me vs you, but I will be battling for my whole village."

"I wouldn't want it anyother way." Nick said as the duo shook on their deal. The next morning the two left from Samurai's house, ready to reenter the Viridian forest and to head straight to Pewter City for Nick's second gym battle.


	4. Flint's Rock Hard Challenge

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Pokemon.**

Character thoughts are italicized.

* * *

"There's Pewter City!" Samurai called back to Nick. The duo looked down onto the city, it was more modern than Samurai's village. The streets were lined with street lights and the roads were paved. The buildings were based on modern designed houses, and the Pokemon Center was right in the center of town. The two trainers continued walking until they found a pile of boulders that they decided to rest on.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing on my rocks!?" A voice belonging to a tall man in work clothes, he also had a beard and wore a knit hat on his head. "Those boulders are my property, I sell them as souvenirs to travelers."

"You sell rocks?" Nick asked out of shock.

"Yes, these rocks can only be found within Pewter City and are quite rare. My store has a strict policy though, you touch it, you buy it." The man said as he pointed at the trainers sitting on the rocks. "But, if you answer my question, I'll let you go. What is the best type of pokemon?"

"That's easy, bug types." Samurai blurted out.

"Oh, I'm sorry that's wrong."

 _This must be a trick question, each type of pokemon has its own advantages and disadvantages against the other types._ Nick was now thinking too in depth for the answer. "The answer is, that no type is the best, as they all have advantages and disadvantages against other types." Nick answered confidently.

"Nope. Wrong again. The answer is it depends on who you ask. You see, someone from Pewter City would answer rock, while you're friend answered with bug type. Listen, I'll give you another chance. If you deliver that package to the Pokemon Center, I'll pretend that I didn't see you. Tell Nurse Joy that its from Flint. You see, I'm sending it home to my family. I originally left to become a famous trainer, unfortunately that never happened, so now I spend the days mining for rocks and selling them to tourists to feed my family." Flint explained. "The only rule I have is that you don't open the package, it contains something that only my family would understand."

Nick sat there listening to the man. He never knew what it was like to take care of a family, he never thought of the future as he only thought of becoming a great trainer. Without a second thought he reached into his pocket and pulled out a few dollars and handed it to Flint. "I know it ain't much, but what can I buy with this?"

"With this you can afford one of the rocks I found at Mt. Moon." Flint told him as Nick was handed a rock. He put the rock in his bag and then grabbed the package and was off towards the Pokemon Center. Samurai followed behind Nick, and they routinely traded places as one carried and the other took a rest because the box was extremely heavy. After a while Samurai was growing anxious.

"Hey, why not open this, he'd never know. We just take a quick look and then reseal it." Samurai decided.

"No! I gave him my word not to look. What would I be if I broke his trust." Nick responded between breaths of air. Unbeknownst to them, Flint was watching them from afar. It took the two over an hour to reach the Center as it was further than it looked like it was. The duo walked into the Center with the package and explained to Nurse Joy what it was. Just then they heard a clapping noise and turned around to see Flint appluding them.

"I see you made the trip here. I'm very appreciative of you two boys, but now I can drop the act." He said as he ripped his hat and beard off. "The truth is, I'm actually the gym leader of this town. I have young trainers do this whenever I catch them on the way into town. You see, some of the greatest strengths a trainer can have are trust and their beliefs. Trust isn't just between a trainer and their pokemon, but between two trainers. Also, one's beliefs shape what kind of trainer you are."

"Wait, so are you really sending this package?" Samurai asked.

"Nope, if you open the box, you'll see that its only rocks." Flint replied playfully, but Samurai was steaming mad. "But anyways, all money raised by the sale of rock souvenirs is donated to the Pewter City youth center. I will tell you about the rock I gave you. It's called a moon stone, rumors have it that it helps certain pokemon are affected by it, but I've never seen it happen."

"I see, so if you're the gym leader when are you available for a battle. I'm trying to earn eight badges so I can compete at the Indigo Plateau." Nick asked politely

"Well, I am pretty busy for the next few days, but for you I can fit a match in for 9:00 am tomorrow morning. How's that sound?" He replied with a smile before proceeding to leave the Center. The two trainers noticed that it was now late at night and decided to rest in the Center for the night.

"So, do you have any idea on what you plan to do?"

"Well, from his answer earlier, I figured that this gym is a rock type. So I know that Krabby will be used for sure. I just don't know how many pokemon we both will be using." Nick answered. He then decided to head off to bed as he was going to have a busy day tomorrow. The next morning arrived and Nick was off to the Pewter City gym. Nick noticed that this gym looked different. The outside was built from stone and the inside was just the same. The entire battlefield was a rocky terrain which had rocks pointing out of it. Standing on the other side was Flint, waiting patiently.

"Nick! I'm looking forward to this battle ever since I met you yesterday. Our battle will be a two on two match, with you being able to switch pokemon as you want. Geodude, come on out!" Flint yelled as a rock like pokemon with arms appeared.

"Eevee, I choose you." Nick called his partner out.

"Hm, an interesting choice. Geodude, rock throw." Geodude grabbed rocks from the field and threw them at Eevee.

"Quick, use dig to dodge."

"Ee!" The pokemon called out as he dug into the ground and avoided the attack.

"Geodude, be ready for their attack. He could reappear at any time."

"Now!" Nick yelled as Eevee reappeared from underground, hitting Geodude.

"Perfect, Geodude, grab him and don't let go." Geodude did as he was told, grabbing Eevee's tail, preventing him from escaping. "Now, throw him into the rocks." Flint said pointing to a new pile of rocks. "After you used dig, we decided to create a new pile of rocks, one that is shaped to our liking." Geodude threw Eevee into the rocks, causing Eevee to collide with it. "Now, use mud-slap." Geodude started to throw the mud on the ground toward Eevee.

"Eevee, quick use sand-attack to block it." Eevee kicked as much dirt up as he could, having it stop the mud-slap attack, causing a cloud of dirt to cover the field. When the cloud vanished Eevee was gone. "Now Eevee!" Just then Eevee jumped from underground, striking Geodude and knocking him out.

"Geodude is unable to battle, the winner is Eevee!" The referee yelled.

"Onix, I choose you!" Flint yelled as a giant rock snake appeared.

"Will the challenger switch pokemon?" The referee asked.

"Eevee, return!" Nick called as Eevee returned into the pokeball. "Krabby, I choose you!" The crab pokemon appeared on the field. "Krabby, bubble attack."

"Onix, dodge by heading down that hole." Flint said as he pointed to the last hole left by Eevee's last dig attack. "Now, attack!" Onix reappeared underneath Krabby, catching it by surprise.

"Counter with bubble!" Krabby was able to launch his attack fast enough to slow down Onix, but was still hit by the pokemon. "Krabby, are you alright?"

"Krab!" The crab pokemon responded.

"Alright use bubble one more time!" _Hopefully a continuous attack will weaken Onix over time. I can't outspeed him, so I'll just have to have more stamina._ Nick thought.

The attack hit Onix again, who was showing fatigue. "Onix, rock tomb!" Unlike rock throw, rocks appeared around Onix and they started to be flung towards Krabby. Over time Krabby was trapped by the rocks, but Nick noticed that a hole was also inside of the trap.

"Krabby, jump into the hole!" Krabby jumped into the hole, staying in there.

"Onix, go after him, don't let him rest!" Onix raced towards the hole and charged into it.

"Got you, Krabby use bubble!" But instead of bubbles being shot at Onix, a stream of water came, hitting Onix directly, blowing him out of the hole and knocking him out.

"Onix is unable to battle. The winner is Krabby and the winner of this match is the challenger Nick from Pallet Town.

"Nick, that was a great match. I haven't had a battle like that in a while. I'll be rooting for you during the league." Flint told the trainer as he handed him the Boulder Badge.

As it was still early in the day, the two travellers decided to head straight through Mt. Moon as that would be the fastest path towards Cerulian City where Nick's next gym battle would be.

"So this is Mt. Moon?" Nick asked as the duo entered the mountain.

"Yep, accourding to the map if we head straight through here, we should be in Cerulian City by sundown." Samurai said as he led the way into Mt. Moon. After a while though, the duo appeared to have become lost within the mountain.

"I thought you knew the way!?" Nick asked, visably upset.

"Well, the map I've been using is outdated, apparently some scientists have been doing research in here for a few weeks, but if I'm right, and I know I am then the left path should lead us out of here." He responded as he pointed to a fork in the cave.

"Oh, so you think left? Well, I'm going right and we'll see who's right." Nick said as he headed down the right path.

"Where do you think you're going! I'm the only one who knows the correct path!" He yelled towards his travel partner. Samurai decided to continue down his path, hoping to prove Nick wrong.

Unfortunately, within minutes Nick found the exit. Knowing Samurai might be a while, Nick let his pokemon out so they could rest on the other side of the mountain with Cerulian City within view.

Samurai was now digging deeper into the mountain, now realizing that he was the wrong one. "Well, as long as I remember the path I took." He said as he turned around only to see about seven different trails. "I guess I really am lost." He cried softly. Just then he heard something from one of the paths, he followed the noise until he saw a Paras, being attacked by a hoard of Zubat. Acting quickly, he decided to help it. "Pinsir, I need your help!" He called as the bug pokemon appeared. "Use vicegrip." Pinsir sliced through the Zubat like a warrior slicing through his enemies with a sword.

"Par?" The pokemon said, still startled from being attacked.

"Hey, it's okay. You're safe, but, you wouldn't happen to know where the exit is, would you? You see, I got lost while trying to find it." He told the pokemon. Before he could say anything else, Paras was pointing him in the direction of the exit. After about a half an hour, the three found the exit. "Thank you Paris, I wouldn't have found it without you." Samurai then ran off, only to find Nick and his pokemon sleeping on the hill overlooking Cerulian. "Nick! Wake up!" He yelled at his friend.

"Huh, I'm up." Nick said as all his pokemon and himself jumped only to see Samurai and Pinsir laughing. "Hey, I see you caught a new pokemon." Nick said pointing to Paras. The pokemon, spooked by Nick giving him away hid behind a tree.

Samurai, noticing it now called out to Paras. "Is that true, do you want to come along with us?"

Paras only shook his head in a fashion which meant yes. "Alright, welcome aboard." He said as he lightly tossed the pokeball, catching Paris

* * *

 **A/N: Hope you're enjoying this. Let me know how I can improve it.**

 **Team:**

 **Nick- 2 badges:**

 **Eevee- tackle, sand-attack, dig**

 **Beedrill- poison sting, string shot, twinneedle, harden**

 **Krabby- water gun, bubble, stomp.**

 **Samurai-**

 **Pinsir- harden, vicegrip, focus energy**

 **Metapod- harden, string shot**

 **Paras- leech life**


	5. A Day At The Beach

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Pokemon.**

Character thoughts are italicized

* * *

"What do you mean the gym is closed!" Nick said in shock.

"I'm sorry, but the gym leader is away on business for the next two days. If you're looking to do something, I recommend visiting the Cerulean Cape. At this time of the year it is a great vacation spot for many tourists." The attendant told Nick.

With the news that the gym wouldn't be open again for two days, Nick and Samurai decided to visit the Cerulean Cape just like they were offered. They managed to reach the beach in just under 20 minutes and decided that their pokemon should enjoy this break as well. With a toss of their pokeballs, their pokemon appeared on the beach's sand and were somewhat surprised by the location.

"Hey, no need to be worried. Since the gym is closed we're taking a break and relaxing at a nearby beach." Nick told the pokemon. "You guys can do whatever you want, as long as you stay in the area." With that everyone was off doing their own thing. Nick, had found a shady tree and decided to read his book under it. Eevee, seeing his trainer decided to join him under the tree.

Samurai saw the two sitting there and could only laugh. _We're at one of the most famous beaches in Kanto, and those two are reading. Eevee really does take after his trainer._

The other pokemon were all on the beach, doing different activities. Metapod was sleeping in the sand, as it couldn't move on it's own. Krabby and Paras were in the water trying to stay cool, and Pinsir and Beedrill were trying to play volleyball. Unfortunately the duo popped the ball every time they tried to hit, so they joined the others in the water. Samurai eventually joined them, and thought of a way to get Nick and Eevee in with them. Samurai went over to Krabby and whispered something to him. Krabby only laughed at what he was told.

Elsewhere, under the tree Nick and Eevee were enjoying the book Nick had on him. It was about the past league championship and it contained each battle which took place there. As they were reading, Nick noticed Krabby come join them under the tree. "Oh, Krabby, do you want to join us?" Nick asked his pokemon.

"Krabb." The water type replied before launching a water gun in Nick's face. Nick was upset over this and chased Krabby around. As this happened, Pinsir came from behind and picked Nick up, and tossed him into the water. Everyone laughed at Nick, especially Samurai.

"So, now that you're in, why not enjoy the ocean. It's better than reading your book." Samurai joked

"I was going to come in later, before I was rudely tossed in!" Nick yelled as he glanced at Pinsir, who was now throwing Eevee into the water. The dog like pokemon swam over to Nick and climbed onto his head, waiting to head back to the tree. Nick was about to get out when Samurai stopped him.

"I thought you would try and leave once we threw you in, so we thought ahead." Samurai said as he pointed to the shore. Sitting next to Nick's book was Metapod. "If you try and leave the ocean, Metapod uses string shot and ruins the book."

Nick knew he was beat, so he decided to toss Eevee off of his head before heading off towards Krabby and engaged the mischievous pokemon in a splash battle. Something that didnt go so well, considering Krabby began using water gun once he began losing.

The group was having so much fun, they didn't notice that the sky was becoming grey. When Nick got out of the water to dry off, he heard thunder and recalled his pokemon to their pokeballs. Once he did that, the sky opened and it began to pour. Samurai decided to recall his pokemon as well and the duo ran to the nearest building. After about 5 minutes, the duo stumbled upon a rather large house over looking the beach. They knocked on the door, hoping someone would answer as this seemed to be the only house up on the Cerulean Cape.

Eventually the door was opened by a young man who was wearing a button down shirt and jeans. "Come in, quickly. This storm is horrible." The man said as he pulled them into his house. "I'm sorry you got stuck waiting, you see, my name is Bill. I'm a genius who is working on developing a way to connect with the multiple regions outside of Kanto."

Samurai seemed confused, but Nick knew what he meant. Nick had heard rumors of other regions where pokemon that haven't been seen live. He didn't know how many existed, just that the closest was Johto, which was on the other side of the Indigo Plateau.

"You see." Bill began, bringing Nick's attention back to the scientist. "I invented the pokemon transfer system. This system allows trainers to transport pokemon from one location to another, so they can rotate new pokemon onto their teams. I've been able to get that part down, just not the communication aspect between the two receiving ends." As he talked, he led the duo into a room with a lit fireplace. Nick had noticed that his house was huge, containing so many computers which were for his work. He also noticed pictures of pokemon around the house. "Despite my want to finish the transfer system, I really just enjoy seeing pokemon in person. That's why I live here, this way when trainers visit the beach, I can see their pokemon."

Seeing how he is just a huge fan of pokemon, Nick decided to bring out his three pokemon and before Bill stood Eevee, Beedrill and Krabby. Bill was fascinated by the pokemon, but Eevee drew his attention the most. "Wow, I've never seen an Eevee before! Did you know that depending on the evolution stone you give it, it can evolve into three different pokemon?" Bill told them. "This really brightened me up, Eevee is one of my favorite pokemon because of its trait to have multiple evolutions." He said as he took a picture of Eevee. "As a thank you, why not have one of the three pokemon Professor Oak sent me to help my transfer system, but I'd rather let them travel. He usually gives them to beginning trsiners, but since there were none this month he sent them to me. He said they could keep me company."

The trio walked into a room where three pokeballs sat on a table. "Well, go ahead." Without a second thought Nick grabbed the one with a fire sticker on it, as he knew it was a Charmander.

"Thank you very much." Nick said as he tossed the pokeball and out came none other than a Charmander. "Hi, I'm Nick, I'm going to be you're trainer. Over there are the rest of our team." Nick said, pointing to Eevee and the others. "We're all going to grow strong together. So, how about it. Do you want to become stronger?" Nick asked, reaching his hand out.

"Char, char." The lizird pokemon said happily as he grabbed Nick's hand and shock it, as if it were a business deal. Nick then recalled all four of his pokemon back into their pokeballs and followed Bill back into his living room.

"I'm sorry, but, it seems I never caught your names." Bill said to the duo.

Both looked at each other and laughed as they both forgot to introduce themselves to the man that helped them escape the storm. "Im Nick from Pallet Town. I'm on a journey to become the greatest trainer that I can possibly become."

"And I'm Samurai, I come from Clear Village and I'm trying to spread awareness of how great bug pokemon can be. I also want to become a great bug type trainer just like my brother, the gym leader of Clear Village." Samurai stated.

"Ah, I see, so you both are on a journey to become the greatest that you can be. If you're challenging gyms, there is one located in Cerulean City. I believe that it's a water type gym. You two remind me a lot of the last group of visitors I had. It was a group of three trainers who all had amazing goals in life. In fact, I believe one was from Pallet Town, his name was Ash." Bill said to them.

As the three continued talking no one noticed that the storm had passed and that it was nice out again. The three talked about their journeys so far and how they all hope to pursue their dreams and make them a reality. As the day drew on, the two trainers knew that they had to get going. So they thanked Bill once again for his hospitality and they were off for Cerulean City.

"So, I guess today wasn't so bad after all." Samurai said to his fellow trainer. "Not only did you relax, but you also got a new pokemon."

"Ya, today turned out all right." Nick said as they continued walking, now being able to make out the outline of the city.

* * *

 **Team:**

 **Nick- 2 badges:**

 **Eevee- tackle, sand-attack, dig**

 **Beedrill- poison sting, string shot, twinneedle, harden**

 **Krabby- bubble, water gun, stomp**

 **Charmander- Scratch, ember, metal claw**

 **Samurai:**

 **Pinsir- vicegrip, harden, focus energy**

 **Metapod- harden, string shot**

 **Paras- leech life**


	6. A New Rival!

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Pokemon.**

Character thoughts are italicized.

* * *

"Charmander, use ember." Nick called out to his newest pokemon. Fire shot out of the pokemon's mouth, colliding with the opponent's Ekans, knocking it out.

"Wow! You're really strong mister." The child told Nick. Nick could tell that this child wasn't old enough to be an official trainer, and the pokemon he was using was probably a family member's.

"You were pretty good yourself. If you keep practicing, one day you'll beat me." Nick told the kid.

"Do you really think so! I'll continue training, so one day when I can start my own journey I can challenge you." The kid said as he ran off.

"The people around here are pretty friendly, aren't they Samurai?"

"Ya, they sure seem it. Unfortunately for me, I haven't seen any bug type pokemon."

"You'll find some eventually, what I'm hoping for is a gym battle in this town." Nick told his companion.

* * *

Flashback:

Four days ago Nick and Samurai approached the Cerulean gym hoping that Nick could battle for his third gym badge.

"I'm sorry, but it seems that the gym leaders have become even busier than they thought they would be." The attendant told Nick.

"What do you mean? I thought being a gym leader was their job." Nick asked, becoming annoyed.

"Nick." Samurai interrupted, "Gym leaders also have other priorities other than running their gym. For example, my brother helps out my father as an aide in his labrotory. Like him, these gym leaders must have become extremely busy."

"Thats exactly the case." The attendant told them. You see, the leaders here are all sisters, and they perform plays involving water type pokemon not only in Cerulean, but across all of Kanto. They were on their way back here when they were told to unpack. Their agent was able to book one more stop on the tour. A five day show in Saffron City. They asked me to let all waiting trainers know about this. They deeply apoligize as they take their duty as gym leaders seriously."

"Well, when you put it that way, there's nothing I can do. I guess I'll just go train until they get back." Nick said as he walked away.

* * *

"So, you're the one winning all these battles." A voice said, bringing Nick back to reality. The trainer had a red shirt and blue jeans. His hair was also green and somewhat long.

"What does it matter to you?" Nick asked back.

The boy didn't like that answer. "My name's A.J. and I used to run this area. You see, I once won 100 straight battles before I started on my badge quest so I can enter the league this year. I assume that you also plan on entering, so how many badges do you have?"

"Two. I worked hard for them and now I'm waiting until the Cerulean gym leaders return so I can face them." Nick said proudly.

"That's it. I've already earned three. I have badges from Vermilion City, Celadon City, and even Cerulean City." A.J. said, bragging. "I bet you only won those badges from weak gyms."

This upset Samurai, as no one dishonored his family by calling them weak. "I'll have you know that my brother was one of the gym leaders he beat, and he's as strong as they get. Let's settle this with a battle." He said, raising a pokeball.

"Alright, I've been looking for a battle. Then after I win, you're next." He said, looking at Nick. "It will be a one-on-one. I don't want to show off all my pokemon."

"That's fine by me. Paras, I need your help." Samurai said as he tossed Paras' pokeball.

"A bug and grass type. Well then, this one will do the trick. Machop, come out and fight." A.J. tossed a pokeball and a gray pokemon who was pretty muscular appeared.

"Paras, let's start off with stun spore." Samurai called out as the mushrooms on Paras' back began shaking, releasing a type of spore into the air.

"Machop, dodge by using dig." Machop avoided the spors from reaching him and now Samurai didn't know when it would attack. "Karate chop, now." Machop jumped out of the original hole, surprising Samurai in the process. The pokemon charged towards Paras with amazing speed and began to swing it's hand down on Paras.

"Quick, counter with fury cutter." Paras' claws shined white as they collided with Machop's hand, but it was overpowered by Machop's pure strength and karate chop still landed.

"I'm done playing around. Machop, use fire punch." This caught everyone, even Nick by surprise. Samurai had no time to even try and counter as well, as Machop was less than two feet from Paras when the command was given. The punch was a direct hit inflicting serious damage to Paras, knocking it out. "Alright, now that it's over, use this." A.J. said as he tossed medicine over towards Samurai. "Now, its our turn." He said, pointing at Nick.

Nick arose and accepted the challenge. "Alright, but, this is going to be a three-on-three match."

"I wish I could accept that, it's just I have to be somewhere soon. Will a one-on-one be enough for now?"

"I guess, but I was hoping for something a little longer." Samurai and Nick switched places on the makeshift field, which was just grass and the duo got ready to battle.

"Voltorb, come and fight." A.J tossed a pokeball, and what appeared before everyone was what seemed to be a larger pokeball.

"Well, this will be interesting. Eevee, I choose you!" Nick called out, as his partner appeared on the field. "Let's start out with quick attack." With it, Eevee was off and running at super fast speeds and was hard to keep track of.

"Voltorb, double team." Copies of Voltorb surrounded Eevee, but neither he or Nick were surprised by this trick. "Now, thunderbolt." The Voltorb all began charging up electricity before launching it towards Eevee.

"Oh no you don't, Eevee use dig." Eevee dug into the ground as fast as he could, barely escaping. In doing so, Voltorb's own attack destroyed it's own double team and hurt itself. "Now, attack." Eevee sprang from underneath Voltorb, hitting it hard and launching it into the air. "Now, use swift." Eevee swung it's tail as stars shot out of it and headed straight for Voltorb before hitting it and knocking the pokemon out.

"Hmph, Voltorb return. I will admit, you have some skill. But you're lucky that I didn't use my strongest pokemon today. A trainer needs to keep a few aces up his sleeve for the league." A.J said before facing Nick. "Now I expect you to be at the league. I can't have my rival not even qualify for the league, especially after losing this match." A.J reached his hand out, signaling for Nick to shake on their deal that they would battle again at the league to determine who the better trainer was. "Oh, before I leave, how did you know to counter my double team so quickly?"

"Well, the truth is I saw a strategy similar to your's in one of my gym battles. I knew that another attack would be coming, so I decided to dodge it instead of trying to beat it head on." Nick said, giving an answer that A.J. wasn't expecting.

"Well, either way, I'll become stronger and defeat you at the league." A.J. then began to leave, yelling back how he was off to get his next badge in Pewter City.

"Samurai, do you think I have a shot at winning this year's league?"

"Nick, you know as well as I do. That's a question that wont be answered until the league begins. Anyways, I saw the gym leaders reenter the city during your match with A.J. I think you'll finally be able to try and earn your third gym badge tomorrow."

The duo returned to the Pokemon Center for the night where they had Nurse Joy take care of their pokemon after the day of battling trainers. Later that night Nick layed in bed wide awake, unable to fall asleep. _First I made a promise to myself that I would become a better trainer than Zack. After that I promised Samurai a rematch once we both become stronger, and now, I promised A.J. that we will face each other in the league. No matter what, I will not lose to any of them._ Nick thought as a smile crossed his face, forming from his new form of determination to grow stronger. He then slowly drifted to sleep.

The next morning Nick and Samurai left the Pokemon Center and walked towards the gym. From the outside it gave off the appearance of an aquarium to Nick. He didn't think much about it, as he was quickly knocking on the door hoping for a response.

The door slowly opened, revealing three young women. "Ah, so you must be Nick. Our attendant told us about you. We're deeply sorry about any trouble we may have caused you. We are back, and one of us will face you today." One of the women said as she placed her hand out.

"It's been no problem at all." Nick lied, he was upset, but his parents had taught him to have manners towards women and anyone older than him. In this case, the three trainers met both qualifications. He reached his hand out and shoke the trainer's hand before being led inside.

* * *

 **Team:**

 **Nick- 2 badges:**

 **Eevee- swift, dig, quick attack, sand-attack**

 **Beedrill- twinneedle, poison sting, string shot, harden**

 **Krabby- bubble, water gun, stomp**

 **Charmander- scratch, ember, metal claw**

 **Samurai:**

 **Pinsir- vicegrip, harden, focus energy**

 **Metapod- harden, string shot**

 **Paras- leech life, stun spore, fury cutter.**


	7. The Sensational Sisters!

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Pokemon.**

Character thoughts are italicized.

* * *

The trio of leaders led Nick and Samurai into the gym and closed the doors behind them. "So, now that we're back, we can have your gym battle." The middle one said. "We are the Sensational Sisters of Cerulean City. My name is Daisy." Daisy said pointing towards herself. She was about the same height as the other two and had blonde hair. "The one with blue hair is Violet, and the one with pink hair is Lily." Daisy said finishing introductions.

"Hi, I'm Nick and I've traveled here from Pallet Town." His response caused the girls to react in a way he wasn't expecting.

"Did you say Pallet Town?" Lily asked. "We've already been beaten seven times by trainers from Pallet Town just this league season alone."

"In fact," Violet added, "we actually got bored of running the gym because of that. Since then, we really haven't taken our duties as seriously as we've been constantly losing."

"Well, to change the subject, I'm Samurai and I've traveled from Clear Village." The young bug trainer said.

"Hm, I've heard of that place, I just can't remember where." Lily said to the trainer.

Samurai only sweated and let out a nervous chuckle. _They should know about it. They were at the meeting where the league announced the newly approved gyms for this upcoming season._ He thought to himself.

"Anyways, your battle is going to be a three-on-three with only you being allowed to switch." Daisy said as they continued to walk down a hall. The outside of the gym made it seem more of an aquarium, but the inside didn't help make it feel like a gym either. The hallways were covered with glass tanks filled with water type pokemon.

Nick broke the silence that was with the group, by asking a simple question. "So, which one of you will I be battling?" He asked as he scratched the back of his head.

The three sisters only looked at each other confused, until they realized their mistake. "Sorry about that, you'll be battling against all three of us. We each will use one pokemon each, and if you beat all three of us you'll win the badge." Violet said. It was then that they were at the battlefield. The field was all water, with a few floating platforms in it. "You see, we changed the gym around so we could hold our performances inside here as well. Now, to decide the order of who fights in what order, we pick straws."

The sisters drew straws and the order was determined to go Lily, then Violet, and finally Daisy. Nick and Lily headed towards their respective sides while Samurai sat on a bench on the side of the pool with the other two sisters. "Don't think this gym is going to be easy. Goldeen come on out." Lily said as she tossed a pokeball and out came a fish.

"Krabby, I choose you." Nick said as he tossed Krabby's pokeball, with Krabby landing on the platform. "Water gun, let's go!" Krabby shot a stream of water towards Goldeen.

"Goldeen, spin while using horn attack." Lily called out. Goldeen did as it was told, and managed to cut through the water gun. Now, use aqua jet." Goldeen was covered in water as she flew at an amazing speed, hitting Krabby directly and sending him backwards on the platform. "Let's finish this, Goldeen use supersonic." Goldeen shot out a hyper sensitive sound wave towards the direction of Krabby.

"Krabby, get out of there. Don't let that attack hit you, jump into the water to dodge." Nick called out.

"Checkmate." Lily said with a smile. "Goldeen, use aqua jet. You see, Goldeen is already pretty fast in the water. Add in the enhanced speed from aqua jet, and you're done."

Krabby was a sitting duck. He tried to swim up towards the platform he had jumped from, but Goldeen was closing in. "Krabby, use water gun, but aim for the ground." Everyone, even Krabby, but he did as he was told. With the added speed of water gun pushing him upwards, Krabby managed to dodge the attack. "That was too close." Nick said as he wiped his forehead. _Despite coming off as easy going and careless when we met them, they can be pretty good battlers._ Nick thought as he looked for an opening. "Krabby, use bubble." Krabby shot bubbles at Goldeen who merely watched as they drew near.

"Becoming desperate? Goldeen, pop his bubbles by using horn attack." Goldeen moved quickly as she popped the bubbles, one after the other until she was closing in on Krabby.

 _Just a little closer._ Nick thought to himself as he watched Goldeen fall for his trap. When Goldeen was within distance Nick called out. "Krabby, grab the horn with vicegrip." Krabby managed to grab a hold of the horn, stopping Goldeen in her tracks. "Now, throw her onto the platform and finish it with stomp." Krabby tossed the fish and then jumped on it, knocking it out from it's attack.

"Oh well, I lost. Goldeen return." Lily called out as Goldeen returned to her ball. "I guess it's up to you two now." She said as she switched seats with Violet.

 _Strange, in battle they're so serious, but once they lose they shrug it off like it's nothing._ Nick thought as he waited for the second pokemon.

"Poliwhirl, come on out." Violet called as her pokemon appeared on the field. "Poliwhirl, use water gun."

"Krabby, we'll use our water gun as well." Both pokemon shot their respective attacks, but Poliwhirl's started overpowering Krabby's due to the fatigue from his previous fight. The attack hit Krabby and knocked him into the water. Krabby immediately jumped back onto his platform, now breathing heavily only to see Poliwhirl rushing towards him.

"Poliwhirl, use double slap." Violet called out. Poliwhirl's hands began to glow white as he formed a fist with them.

"Krabby, stop it with vicegrip." Krabby managed to grab one hand, but the second managed to hit Krabby. The impact of the hit sent Krabby off the battlefield into the gym's wall, knocking him out. "Krabby return. You battled really hard today, take a rest." Nick said as he switched Krabby's ball with a new one. "Beedrill, I choose you." Beedrill appeared above the field, something Nick thought he could use to his advantage. "Beedrill, start off with poison sting." Nick called out as the pokemon fired off its attack.

"Poliwhirl, jump into the water to dodge, then use water gun." Poliwhirl did exactly as he was told and avoided the attack followed by his own.

"Beedrill, fly to your left, then use string shot." Beedrill dodged the attack and then launched his attack, but missed his target.

"You think you can beat us with bad aim, Poliwhirl, use water pulse." This time a stronger blast of water came towards Beedrill, who was still able to dodge.

"Alright, Beedrill, contine dodging their attacks and after every attack use string shot." Nick called out as he watched his pokemon dodging every attack that came at him. This pattern continued for a while until Nick switched it up. "Beedrill, charge at Poliwhirl with a twinneedle attack." Beedrill was glad to be on the offensive now and charged towards his opponent, who roled to the right managing to avoid the attack. "Don't get discouraged, go right back with a fury attack." Beedrill charged in, even faster than before.

"Poliwhirl, stop it with double slap." Violet called out, but Poliwhirl was still in the same position as when he dodged the twinneedle, one one knee with one hand against the ground for support. "What's wrong, are you hurt?" She asked before seeing thin pieces of string all around her platform and quite a bit in the section that Poliwhirl was standing. _Beedrill wasn't missing on purpose, but instead Nick was having him set up this trap for us._ Violet thought as Beedrill was only a few feet away. "Poliwhirl, use water gun." Poliwhirl lifted his one free hand, and launched a weakened version as he was struggling due to the strings holding him down. Beedrill managed to collide with Poliwhirl just as he launched the attack. Knocking both pokemon out. "I guess I lost as well." She said calmly as she returned her pokemon and walked over to the bench to switch with Daisy.

"Beedrill, thank you for a great job." Nick said to his pokemon as he called it back into it's pokeball.

"You battle very well, But you won't beat me. I'm the toughest out of the three of us, and this whole time I've been watching your strategy. I know your whole way of battling, and you've never seen me battle before. Shellder, come on out." Daisy said boldly

"Oh really, you haven't seen my best yet." He said reaching for Eevee's pokeball. "Eevee I choose-" He began before being cut off. Charmander's pokeball opened up and the fire type appeared on the platform. "Charmander!? What are you doing?" Nick asked his pokemon.

"So, you're best is using a fire type in a water gym?" She asked teasingly.

Nick was embarrassed, he was going to pick Eevee, and now he was being made fun of. That's when he noticed the fire burning in Charmander's eyes. "I see, you know that you're friends have been fighting extremely hard today. You just want to prove that you're a reliable member of this team as well."

"Char." The pokemon replied, Nick could hear determination in it's voice.

"Alright, Charmander will be my final pokemon." Nick yelled towards Daisy.

"Fine, it took long enough. Shellder, start off with ice beam." Shellder fired the attack at Charmander who jumped to dodge it. The attack continued going, until it hit the water and froze the entire field. When Charmander landed, he lost his balance and fell due to the ice. What Nick didn't notice was Shellder gliding around the field so easily. "Water gun!" The attack hit Charmander in the back and that's when Nick noticed Shellder's new speed.

"How did it get so fast?" Nick asked himself. "Charmander, be ready for an attack from any direction. It was easier said than done, as Charmander continued to lose his balance every time he turned to look for Shellder.

"You see, Shellder was never much of a fast swimmer, but he was pretty fast on ice. We created this strategy where it would help with his speed. Water gun, once more." Shellder appeared in front of Charmander this time and hit him point blank.

Nick decided to trys something desperate and hope that it worked. "Charmander, use metal claw on the ground to help your balance." Charmander's claws dug into the icy field, causing him to be on all fours now. "Use ember!" This time Shellder continued to dodge the attacks, but what they didn't notice was the ice melting from the heat. Everyone finally noticed when Shellder slid off the ice, and landed in the water.

"Ha, you think you've won? Shellder, use rapid spin." Daisy called out. Shellder began spinning so fast that he created a water tornado on the field and it was heading in their direction.

 _If that hits, Charmander is done for. But, I don't have any move_ _to_ _beat it._ Just then Nick noticed the same determined look in Charmander's eyes from before, and was surprised when he launched an attack off by himself. The flames shot off by Charmander were stronger than an ember attack, as they managed to evaporate the water tornado completely. "That must have been a flamethrower attack." Nick said in amazement, before coming back to his senses. "We can't waste this opportunity. Charmander, use dragon rage." Charmander shot a ball of fire from his mouth which collided with Shellder, knocking him out and winning Nick his third badge. Seeing this happen, Nick jumped onto the platform to congratulate Charmander on an excellent battle.

As Nick embraced Charmander, Daisy coughed to get Nick's attention. Seeing this made the other two sisters laugh at how Nick was acting. "Hey! We may have all day, but I think you'd like to receive your badge now, before we leave for our rehearsal." Hearing this Nick returned Charmander to his pokeball and jumped off the platform and rejoined the others. "Here it is." Daisy said as she handed the cascade badge to Nick. The badge was blue and shaped like a raindrop. "Now, from here I recommend heading towards Saffron City. From there you can challenge it's gym, or head off to another town." Daisy said.

Nick and Samurai were now off to Saffron City, wondering what kind of adventures would be waiting for them there.

* * *

 **Team:**

 **Nick- 3 badges:**

 **Eevee- quick attack, swift, dig, sand-attack**

 **Beedrill- poison sting, string shot, fury attack, twinneedle**

 **Krabby- bubble, water gun, vicegrip, stomp**

 **Charmander- flamethrower, metal claw, dragon rage, scratch**

 **Samurai:**

 **Pinsir- vicegrip, harden, focus energy**

 **Metapod- harden, string shot**

 **Paras- leech life, stun spore, fury cutter**


	8. The Saffron City Battle Tournament

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Pokemon.**

Character thoughts are italicized.

* * *

"So, you've already made it to Saffron City. I heard that some of the others from Pallet Town should be there as well." Professor Oak said from his side of the monitor.

"Ya, and I've already earned three gym badges." Nick said proudly as he opened his case.

"Only three? I would have thought you'd have more by now. By the way, how many pokemon have you caught?" The professor wondered. Nick reached for his pokeballs and called out his four pokemon. "Hm, you've only caught four. I was hoping for a little more." Oak said truthfully. "Everyone else has been sending me quite a lot lately."

"Well, I like to think quality over quantity." Nick said, defending himself.

"I see, but you're lucky to be in Saffron, I heard that there are quite a few events going on in the city this week. You should check them out sometime. I wish I could talk longer, but my lunch is ready." Professor Oak said while ending the call.

Nick hung up his end as well and proceeded to find Samurai, who was outside with the pokemon relaxing. Before Nick could say anything, a familiar voice cut him off. "Hey! It's boy genius Nick!" The boy yelled as he walked over towards them. "And Samurai is here also. Man, it's been too long."

"Oh, hi Nate." Nick said towards the trainer. Nate was known as easy going while in Pallet Town, and the way he dressed showed it. He wore faded jeans and a plain white shirt that was covered by a sweatshirt. His hair was a dirty blond color and was gelled back. "What brings you here?"

"Oh, you didn't hear, there's a big battle tournament starting today. I was already in town after earning my fifth badge so I decided to sight see with my pokemon when I saw this." He said as he pulled a flier for the tournament out of his pocket. "I figured it might be fun and then I end up finding you here."

"There's really going to be a tournament!?" Nick asked with amazement.

"Ya, the rules are simple, one-on-one battles and you can only register three pokemon for the event." Nate explained just as he was called to the reception desk to receive his pokemon. Nick and Samurai recalled their pokemon and followed him to the desk. "I've caught many pokemon, but the ones I don't plan on using I send to Oak's for his research. Why don't you guys meet them." He said as he tossed the pokeballs into the air. Out came an Ivysaur, Slowpoke, Fearow, Cubone and Golduck. "Pretty cool am I right? They're all tough, but also layed back just like me."

"Wow! Your Bulbasaur evolved. It was stronge the last time we fought, I can only imagine what it's strength is like now." Samurai said, inspecting the grass type. "Why don't I introduce you to the rest of my team." He then called out his three pokemon, revealing Pinsir, Metapod, and Paras.

"I don't want to be left out either. Everyone, come on out." Nick said as he called out his four pokemon.

"So, how many total pokemon have you caught? I mean, I see you have four, but how many have you sent over to Oak's?" Nate asked, interested in the answer.

"Well you see," Nick began. "These are the only pokemon I've caught so far. They've helped me earn my three badges, and they all never give up." He finished, praising them on their effort.

"I see, I really thought that boy genius Nick would have more than just four pokemon." Nate said, as the group turned around to see Zach standing before them. "Hey Zach, how you been. I haven't seen you since we left Pallet Town. Why don't you call out your pokemon so they can play with the group?" Zach was the same height as Nick, and was dressed in new jeans, and a gray shirt.

"Ha,as if I would show you the pokemon I would be using, right before a tournament. I would believe that you would do something like that, but to think the boy genius of Pallet would show off his pokemon to possible opponents. I'm outta here, I've got a tournament to win." With that he left the Center and the others in it as well.

Nick was enraged, "Who does he think he is. Just because his father won the Kanto league once, he thinks he is better than everyone else."

"That's not the case." Nate interrupted "Zach has a lot of pressure on him. Not only is he on his own journey, but he also carries his father's legacy with him. He thinks he has to win, be the best or that his father's name will be ruined."

Samurai, seeing where this was headed changed the subject. "So, I was wondering, why does everyone call you boy genius?"

"Honestly, I don't know, they just started calling me it, and it stuck." Was Nick's answer.

Nate couldn't help it, he began laughing. "The reason we call you that isn't for no reason Nick. It's because in Professor Oak's trainer prep classes for the children of Pallet Town, you had every answer. Most said it mockingly, as they got annoyed by you constantly answering. Myself, I didn't care, I only said it cause I thought it never bothered you. But, to cut this short we really should go register, the competition starts tonight." Nate said as he led the way.

The group ended up outside of a giant dojo, with the name of it being The Fighting Gym Dojo. "So, this is the city's gym?" Nick asked his two fellow trainers.

"No. This used to be the gym, but it shut down a while back and is now used to hold little competitions and other events." Nate said, as he headed over to the registration desk with Samurai.

Nick on the other hand stayed back unsure of which three pokemon to register. He called them all out so he could talk to them as they already knew of the tournament. "Hey, I know you're all excited for this, but I can only enter three of you. Someone has to stay out of the fights." The four pokemon looked back and forth until finally Krabby volunteered to sit this out. "Okay, so Eevee, Beedrill and Charmander will battle." Nick then went over and registered himself for the tournament. He was then told to enter the building and wait until it begun. He rejoined with his two friends as they sat there for about 20 minutes before a voice welcomed everyone.

"Welcome to everyone here watching our first ever Saffron City Battle Dojo Tournament. We would also like to thank the 32 entrants as without them this event couldn't take place. Before the match ups for the first round are determined, we will go over the rules." The announcer said, his voice echoing throughout the building. "The matches are one-on-one only and each trainer has already registered three pokemon for the tournament. The same pokemon cannot be used two battles in a row and if an unregistered pokemon is used, it is immediate disqualification for the trainer. With that, would everyone please face the main screen as we determine the pairings." The main screen turned on as thirty two pictures, one of each trainer appeared before being scrambled around the screen. After about 30 seconds the pictures were all paired together.

What caught Nick's eye was one of the trainers present on the screen. This same one caught Nate's and Samurai's eye as well. "So, Ash is here as well." They all said at the same time. They then quickly looked to see who they were facing. None of them recognized any of their opponents at all, and figured that it was more likely to face someone they didn't know, than someone they did know.

"The first match will begin immediately." The announcer called out. The trio watched match after match until finally someone they knew was battling. "The next match will be between Zach of Pallet Town, and Ervin of Saffron City. Begin!"

"Raticate, it's our turn." Ervin called out.

"Hmph, Magmar, stand by." Zach said as both pokemon appeared.

"So the match will be Raticate vs Magmar, this should make for an interesting match up." The announcer said, trying to pump up the crowd.

"This is a waste of time. Magmar, end this quickly, use flamethrower." Magmar shot the flames out of its mouth and towards the opponent.

"Don't underestimate my Raticate. Counter with bubblebeam!" Raticate shot a trail of bubbles out of it's mouth, weakening the attack enough so it could dodge. "Now, use hyper fang." Raticate charged towards Magmar, it's fangs glowing white and grew in size as it bit down on it's opponent. "We did it, I direct hit."

"Wow! Ervin's Raticate landed a direct hit with hyper fang, Magmar must be hurting now." The announcer told the crowd.

"Nice try. Maybe if you trained your pokemon better, then I would be worried." Zach said with a smile crossing his face. "You have some potential, but this is over. Magmar, fire punch!" Magmar's fist was engulfed in flames as it connected with Raticate, knocking it out in one hit.

"Amazing, even after being hit by hyper fang Magmar was still able to get an attack off and win in only one move!" The announcer began. "Ladies and gentlemen, keep an eye out for this trainer as he should be a favorite to win it all."

The crowd applauded both trainers as they walked away from the field. Zach was about to head off somewhere when Ervin stopped him. "Did you really mean it, when you said I had potential if I continued my training?"

"I may come off as rude and arrogant, but I really do care for trainers becoming stronger. I never joke around when I see a trainer who can become something special."

"So, after I become stronger, can we have a rematch. To prove that I'm a good trainer?"

"We'll see. It depends on how well of a trainer you become." With that Zach left to head off to his own area in the building.

"I'd hate to follow that match up, but the next match is about to begin. In this match we have Samurai from Clear Village vs Brock of Pewter City. Brock looked familiar to Samurai, as if he had seen him before.

Both trainers made their way to the battlefield and greeted each other. "You look familiar, you wouldn't be related to Flint of Pewter City would you?" Samurai asked his opponent.

"Actually, he's my father. I used to run the Pewter City gym. Then when I met Ash and wanted to travel with him, my father took over the duties of the gym." Brock answered. "Did you challenge him recently?"

"No, my friend over challenged the gym and I was with him. This will be interesting, I'm the brother of Clear Village's gym leader."

"So, you're brother is the new leader. This will be an interesting match. Let's both do our best." Brock said as he grabbed Samurai's hand to shake it. The two trainers returned to their respective sides and called their pokemon. "Onix, I need your help!"

"Pinsir, fight by my side!" The two pokemon appeared on the field, the crowd cheering them on.

"This match will be Onix vs Pinsir." The announcer said. "A little fun fact, the two types these pokemon are, are the same as their trainer's home town gym specializes in."

"Onix, start off with rock throw!" Brock yelled as Onix tossed rocks at Pinsir.

"Pinsir, block the attack by using x-scissor." Samurai called as his pokemon's hands glowed green and extended as they deflected almost every rock. Unfortunately, a few hit the bug type knocking him over.

"Onix, use tackle!" The rock snake charged towards Pinsir, hitting him dead on.

"Pinsir! Are you alright?" Samurai asked as he saw his partner stand up. "Alright, this isn't over yet. Use bulldoze!" Pinsir charged at Onix as he collided directly with the pokemon, but he was panting badly now.

"This is an amazing first round of battles so far today. I only hope they continue throughout the night." The announcer claimed.

"Onix, they're at their limit, finish it with bind." Onix charged towards his opponent getting ready to wrap him in his body.

"Pinsir, brace yourself with harden." Pinsir's body flashed white as he stiffened up as Onix wrapped around him. _Just a little longer, then we finish this. Just hang in there._ Samurai thought to himself. He watched as Onix's grip tightened around Pinsir. After a while Samurai saw his opening. "Pinsir, use revenge, now!" Samurai yelled as Pinsir's right fist glowed a bright white as it collided with Onix. Onix was knocked out by the surprise attack and Brock was surprised himself.

"That was some idea you pulled off. It was pretty risky because if you didn't land that last hit, the match was over." Brock said, pointing to a noe fainted Pinsir.

"Ya, we only held on as long as we did because of harden." Samurai said, agreeing with the former gym leader.

"We will now be taking a short intermission as we get the field ready for the second half of the first round. So far you've seen eight amazing fights, and hopefully you'll see anothr eight captivating battle." The announcer told the crowd. "After the intermission, the next match will be between Nate of Pallet Town and Jake from Vermilion City.

* * *

 **Team:**

 **Nick- 2 badges:**

 **Eevee- quick attack, dig, swift, sand-attack**

 **Beedrill- fury attack, string shot, poison sting, twinneedle**

 **Krabby- water gun, bubble, stomp, vicegrip**

 **Charmander- flamethrower, dragon rage, ember, metal claw**

 **Samurai:**

 **Pinsir- revenge, x-scissor, harden, vicegrip**

 **Metapod- harden, string shot**

 **Paras- leech life, fury cutter, stun spore**


	9. Pallet Town's Future

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Pokemon.**

Character thoughts are italicized

* * *

"The field has been repaired, and we are ready to continue. The next match will be between Nate of Pallet Town and Jake from Vermilion City." The announcer said as both trainers walked towards the field. The two trainers met in the middle and shook hands before heading to their own sides.

"Hm, I wonder who I should use?" Nate wondered out loud. "I know Ivysaur really wants to battle, but then again, so do everyone else." He then let out a little laugh. "Well, I guess whoever I pick will do fine." With that he grabbed a pokeball and was ready. "Golduck, come on out."

"So, you're using a water type? Even though you're battling against a Vermilion native you feel confident? I'll have to teach you a lesson, Jolteon fight now!" Jake called out. He was dressed in shorts and a sleeveless black tank top. His hair was rather long as it ran down to his shoulders. "Start this off with thunderbolt!" Jolteon's whole body turned yellow as lightning was released from it. The lightning shot from Jolteon and headed straight towards Golduck.

"Golduck, use light screen." Nate called out, without breaking a sweat. Golduck placed it's hands out in front as a screen appeared in front of him. The thunderbolt bounced off of the screen, causing it to disperse in many directions. Unfortunately, the screen wasn't strong enough to hold back the entire attack, as a small bolt broke through hitting Golduck. The electricity ran through Golduck's entire body causing decent damage on the water type.

"See, you should know better than to mess with an electric type." Jake cried out boldly.

"Ehh, I'm not worried about type match-ups and winning every match. If I lose so be it, but I won't stand by and let you win. Golduck, use psyshock!" Golduck placed it's hands out in front of itself and balls of energy began to form. After a few seconds, Golduck launched the attack towards Jolteon.

"Ha, you think something like that will work on us?" Jake asked his opponent. "Jolteon, counter with shock wave." Jolteon's body began to glow yellow once again as he built up electricity within himself. After a few seconds Jolteon released the attack. Multiple strands of electricity shot from Jolteon's body and collided with the psyshock attack, cancelling each other out. "Jolteon and I have trained for a while to perfect that. You see, a normal shock wave is launched as one bolt of electricity, but Jolteon can weaken the attack so he can then launch it in multiple directions. Now, let's finish this. Jolteon, use shock wave once more." This time Jolteon was taking longer to build up his attack and Nate knew that this would be it.

 _Would it work? If we don't try, we're done for._ Nate thought to himself. "Golduck, use soak!" Golduck opened it's mouth as water shot right from it. The water continued to move across the field until it made contact with Jolteon. "Perfect, we hit it right on the mark."

"Jolteon, no more games, launch the attack!" Jolteon's body stopped glowing and now began sparking with electricity running around it's body. After a few seconds Jolteon launched the attack as a large beam of electricity was shot from Jolteon's body and headed straight for Golduck.

"Its now or never. Golduck, hydro pump!" Nate called out as Golduck opened it's mouth again. This time a stronger blast of water came rushing out and collided with the attack. The two attacks pushed against each other until the shock wave combined into the water and hit Golduck.

"Didn't you ever learn that water conducts electricity? Your attack was never going to work." Jake said mockingly

"I think you should watch more clearly then." Nate replied back. He was right, even though Jolteon's attack merged into the water, Golduck's attack was still heading towards Jolteon despite it's pain. The hydro pump landed directly on Jolteon, inflicting massive damage as the electricity within the water ran throughout Jolteon's body causing him to faint.

"But, how? Electric moves shouldn't do that much damage." Jake asked his opponent.

"Well, when you charged up your attack, I originally used soak. It's a move which changes a pokemon's type to water for a short time. I then expected your shock wave to merge with any water type attack I used, so I used it to my advantage. With a super charged attack being strengthened by myself, all I had to worry about was Golduck holding out long enough." Nate explained as he walked back to his friends, only to be greeted by three new faces.

"That was a great idea of using an opponent's move against them." Ash said to his fellow trainer. "If I win here, then that means we'll battle each other next round." He said as he walked over to the battlefield.

"Ash, you're not supposed to head over until your name is called." A young red head said to Ash.

"Misty is right, what if the field isn't ready for your match." Brock added.

Just then they overheard the announcer speaking. "The next match will be Elise of Celadon City vs Ash from Pallet Town." Both trainers reached the battlefield and met in the middle for introductions. After shaking each other's hand, the two trainers walked over to their respective sides.

"Pikachu, I'm so excited. It's finally our turn to battle." Ash said as Pikachu ran onto the battlefield.

"Grimer, I choose you." Elise called out. She was dressed in a skirt and a white sundress along with sandles. Her hair was about medium length and was a light purple. "Use sludge attack." Grimer began by launching a barrage of sludge at Pikachu.

"Pikachu, dodge by using agility." Pikachu began moving so fast he looked like a blur to everyone watching the match. Every time it seemed he was going to be hit, he managed to dodge the oncoming attack with his speed. "Alright, now use thunderbolt." Pikachu's body glowed yellow as he stored up electricity before launching it at Grimer. The bolt of electricity shot from his body and flew across the field, hitting Grimer head on.

"Grimer, now's our chance. Disable!" Grimer's eyes flashed white for a few seconds before returning to normal, but after it's eyes became normal, Pikachu glowed white for a few seconds.

"Pikachu, finish this with thunderbolt!" Ash called out only for nothing to happen. "What's going on? Why didn't thunderbolt work?" Ash asked no one in particular.

"You don't even know how disable works?" Elise asked, mocking Ash. "For a trainer from Pallet Town, you're not that good. Disable is a move that makes you unable to use the last attack you used for a short time. In this case, you're unable to use thunderbolt for the time being. Grimer use sludge once more." Grimer immediately began to launch the attack towards Pikachu once again.

"Pikachu, dodge by using agility once more." With that Pikachu was off and running, trying to dodge the attack as best he could. _We can't just keep dodging. We'll grow tired way to fast, and when that happens we're done for._ "Pikachu, it's our turn to go on the attack. Use thunder!" Pikachu built electricity up once again, but this time when he released it the attack was much larger than a thunderbolt would be.

"Grimer, I don't like the look of this. Use minimize." Elise called out as Grimer shrunk in size, avoiding the attack as the gigantic lightning bolt crashed down on the spot where the poison type had just been moments ago.

As the smoke cleared Ash was confused as he couldn't see Grimer at all. "Hey, where'd it run off to now?" Ash asked himself, unable to see the pokemon slowly sneaking up on the duo.

"You're close enough, use body slam." Grimer regrew in size and then crushed Pikachu with a surprise body slam from behind. "You might as well surrender. Nothing will be able to move Grimer now." Elise told Ash, enjoying the worried look on his face. She was right, no matter what Pikachu tried to do he couldn't escape from underneath Grimer. That's when Ash thought of an idea.

"Pikachu! Stop moving around." Pikachu did as he was told and stopped resisting. "Good, now use thunder." Pikachu built up the electricity and before Grimer could escape, blasted him with the attack. The bolt of electricity shot from Pikachu, and didn't travel far as it immediately collided with Grimer. The force of the attack was enough to knock Grimer out.

Pikachu ran back towards Ash and jumped up onto his shoulder as Ash walked back over to his friends.

"That was pretty close, wasn't it Ash?" Nick asked, teasing the trainer.

"Well, I actually didn't know if my idea was going to work back their. In all honesty, I didn't know what I was going to do if it didn't get Pikachu freed."

The group of now six watched the last few remaining matches in the first round, until it was Nick's turn to battle. His match was the very last one in the first round, and it was against his new friend Misty. "The last match of the first round will now begin. It will be Misty of Cerulean City vs Nick from Pallet Town." The announcer said. The duo walked towards each other, meeting in the middle of the battlefield. The two shoke each other's hand and then proceeded to their respective sides.

"Staryu, I choose you." Misty called out as a star shaped pokemon appeared before her.

"Staryu, okay I know who to use. Beedrill, I choose you." Nick called out, as his very first captured pokemon appeared. "Start off with poison sting." Beedrill raised it's stingers and launched multiple needles at the water type. The attack seemed to be on track to become a direct hit, only for Staryu to counter.

"Staryu, cancel the attack out with swift." Staryu began to launch stars from it's core. These stars collided with the poison sting attack, cancelling each other out and causing a cloud of smoke to appear. "Now Staryu, use the smoke as an advantage. Use double-edge." Staryu began to spin at a fairly fast speed as it cut through the smoke. By the time it had become visible again, it was only inches away from Beedrill.

"Beedrill, try and stop it with twinneedle!" Nick called out as Beedrill raised it's stingers to defend himself. Staryu was too fast though, hitting Beedrill and sending him backwards and into the ground. "Beedrill, are you alright?" Nick asked, worried for his pokemon's well being. Beedrill didn't respond, he only rose from the ground and prepared itself to attack.

"Staryu, that last attack damaged it pretty badly, let's finish it here. Water gun!" Misty called out as water shot out of the top of Staryu's head and raced towards Beedrill.

"Beedrill, try and counter with poison sting." Nick asked of his tired pokemon. Beedrill raised his stingers, and prepared itself to launch the attack. But, instead of poison sting being launched, Beedrill combined his two stingers together and fired a large beam of energy at the water gun attack. Beedrill's blast tore right through Staryu's attack and hit the starfish pokemon directly. The blast being strong enough to knock Staryu out. "No way. Could that really be the strength of a hyper beam attack?" Nick asked out loud as Beedrill raced over to it's trainer, embracing him in a hug.

"Ladies and gentlemen, that concludes the first round. 32 trainers entered, only 16 remain. There will not be anymore battles until tomorrow morning, that way the remaining trainers can rest before the next round." The announcer told the audience.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Reviews:**

 **Person32100: I've never really been good when it comes to detail in any writing. Every year in my english class my teachers tell me the same thing every time, add more detail. I've been trying to work on detail in this story, I hope it's better.**

 **Zierre: Thanks, as the summary says, I try to update every Monday, Wednesday, Friday with the weekends used as catch up days if I miss an update.**

 **Giorocket: I'm trying to make this as little predictable as possible. I know it's hard to do that, but I will try to shake things up if it becomes to obvious. As for the pace, it will slow down. I just had to get through Cerulean City.**

 **Blaze Falcon: I picked Samurai as a travelling companion because like you said, you really don't see it. As for a third companion, I don't really see it happening right now, but anything can happen. I'll try to add more detail to the battles, but as I said before, I'm not very good when it comes to detail and I am working on it.**

 **Thank you to everyone reading this so far. Round 2 of the tournament is on its way. Please leave a comment on who you think is going to win.**

 **Team:**

 **Nick- 3 badges:**

 **Eevee- swift, quick attack, dig, sand-attack**

 **Beedrill- poison sting, hyper beam, twinneedle, fury attack**

 **Krabby- water gun, bubble, vicegrip, stomp**

 **Charmander- flamethrower, dragon rage, ember, metal claw**

 **Samurai:**

 **Pinsir- x-scissor, revenge, harden, vicegrip**

 **Metapod- harden, string shot**

 **Paras- leech life, stun spore, fury cutter**


	10. A Family Dilemma

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Pokemon.**

Character thoughts are italicized

* * *

Following the first round of the tournament, the group of now six friends walked over to the pokemon center where they were to spend the night. This had been previously set up with the tournament's supervisor, so the only trainers staying the night were those still in the competition. The group of six immediately brought their pokemon over to Nurse Joy so that she could heal them. As they waited, the three trainers from Pallet Town talked about their travels so far.

"So, you ended up oversleeping and by the time you got to the lab the only pokemon left was a Pikachu? I can't believe that both you and Nick overslept." Nate said before laughing.

"Hey, its not that funny. I only overslept because my alarm clock was broken." Ash began to defend himself. "Besides, if that didn't happen, I never would have met my best friend. So, how many badges have you two earned yet?" He asked as he revealed six badges pinned to the inside of his jacket.

"Wow Ash, you must of worked pretty hard to earn six badges already. I've only earned three." Nick said.

Misty, overhearing the conversation decided to join in. "Honestly, more than half of them were given to him. He shouldn't even have two badges." The water type trainer teased.

"That's not true and you know it!" Ash yelled at his friend, upset at her previous comment. "You know I've worked hard for these badges, remember my match against Lt. Surge."

Samurai decided to end this argument before it got any uglier. "Hey, settle down, she's only kidding around Ash. It was just for laughs. Everyone here knows how hard you three work to earn your badges. I can only imagine how hard that Zach works as well. I faced him before, and he beat me in under ten seconds."

"Ah, don't worry, I've known Zach for years." Nate said. "He may not show it, but he treats all pokemon as his family. It's just because he has such a burden of trying to carry on his father's name."

"Ya, I noticed his ability during his match earlier today." Brock added, deciding to join in. "He trained that Magmar pretty well to be able to launch an attack while the opponent was still attacking the way he was. He really is something, its too bad that he can't really enjoy his travels because he's too busy keeping his father's reputation in tact."

There was nothing but silence coming from the once cheerful group. Samurai decided to end this as well. "Hey, enough about him. We still don't know much about you two." He said while pointing at Brock and Misty. "I mean, all we know is that your travelling with Ash. But, what are your goals in life. For me, I want the world to know of the true strength of Bug types. People underestimate them, but with the correct training, they can be deadly." Everyone could see he was passionate about this just by the sound in his voice and by the determination in his eyes.

"Well, you already know that Flint's my dad. I was the previous gym leader of Pewter City, but I never enjoyed it. I always loved taking care of pokemon, I now travelling so that I can become an excellent breeder." Brock told the group. They were now going in a circle, and Nate was next.

"Well, I've never thought of a dream I've had. The truth is, I travel just to enjoy life, see where the next path will lead me. I'm just collecting badges because I've been coming into towns with them. It gives me something to do." Nate told everyone as he placed his hands behind his head.

"I guess I'm up now." Nick said with a light chuckle. "I've always dreamt of becoming the best trainer I can become. If that means winning a league conference or just catching a few pokemon and training them so be it."

"Same old Nick." Ash said as he laughed. "You never could give a straight answer unless you could find it in a book. Well, I'm planning on becoming the world's greatest pokemon master." He said with the same determination as Samurai had.

"Well, I guess I'm the only one left." Misty began. "I'm the fourth sister of the sensational sisters of Cerulean City." Everyone just stared, ghey couldn't picture her being related to the three gym leaders. "My dream, is to become the greatest water type master in the world. There just isn't any other kind of pokemon that is as great as a water type."

Just then Zach passed by the group, heading to retrieve his pokemon. Nick decided to end their silly feud that they've had since Nick first moved to Pallet Town. "Hey Zach! Come join us, we're talking about our journeys and our dreams that we want to accomplish. We figured you might want to come join us since we're all from the same town."

Zach stopped and looked back at the group before answering. "I'd love to join in, there is only one problem. You're with them. Now stop wasting my time, you might know everything in a classroom, but in a battle everything is different." He said as he continued on his way.

Nick was upset now. "Who does he think he is! I was trying to be nice to him, and all he does is insult me."

"Hey, take it easy Nick. He is very competitive after all. It was probably just trash talking." Nate tried to calm his friend down. _His ccompetitiveness goes back further than you think. He was known as the smartest child in Pallet Town before you showed up. To think, the son of a trainer who failed in his travels being smarter than a league conference champ's son. Oh the embarrassment, add that with his need to impress his father by improving the family reputation and that equals one grudge he holds against you._ Nate thought to himself before the sound of Nurse Joy calling their group over to get their pokemon brought him back to reality.

The group then decided to call it a night as it was somewhat late, and the tournament was to resume at 8:00 am. Nick headed to the room that himself, Nate and Samurai were to share until the tournament was finished. They were at the room as Samurai told them he would be right back as he needed to use the bathroom. The truth was, he had something else to do. Samurai headed back into the lobby to find it empty except for Zach. He was sitting at a table by himself, looking out the window. Samurai decided to sit down across from him.

"What do you want?" Zach asked the young trainer.

"Listen, I know about the struggles you're going through. Believe me, don't let them ruin your travels." Samurai began before being interrupted.

"What do you know about my problems!" Zach yelled across the table. "You're not the one with my father. Try being the only child of a trainer who retired at the top of his game. Tty and live with the burden of being known for being your father's son, instead of for being myself. Everything I've done, has been compared to my father. And to top it off, before I left, the only thing he said was 'keep the family name well known'." Tears were starting to form in his eyes, he had kept this bottled up for so long as he couldn't let people think he was weak.

Samurai knew exactly where he was coming from. "But, I do know. My brother is a gym leader and my father is a leading researcher on bug types. I come from a village where family honor is extremely important. I had to keep my image up around town, that's why I was always in Viridian forest, so I could be myself without anyone judging me. When I left on my journey, my family didn't say the same thing to me, instead they told me to 'have fun, and to create a name for myself, one that people would know me for.' So, you see don't let this ruin your travels, make your own name. One that people will know belongs to you."

Zach just sat there quietly, no one ever told him this. Everyone was always trying to be friends just so they could meet his father. He had always needed to put up an act around people, just to try and impress his father. "Thank you, I overheard your conversation earlier, the one about dreams. Well, my dream is to create a name for myself, one that will seperate mine from my father's. I also have a second one." He began, his face becoming dead serious again. "I will beat Nick and the others and prove that I'm the best trainer from Pallet Town." Zach then rose as he left the table and began to head towards his room. "You should really be going to sleep, the battles start early in the morning, tomorrow covers rounds 2, 3, and 4. I expect a great battle from you in one of those rounds." With that he was out of sight.

Samurai returned to his room shortly after, reflecting on his own advise and what Zach had told him. _We aren't that different, families that both have reputations to maintain. Only difference is, my family wants me to create my own name and to stop living in the shadows of their reputation. Unfortunately, Zach isn't the same case, it seems like his father can't move past the fact that it isn't about him anymore._ Samurai then fell asleep for the rest of the night.

The next morning, the group of six headed back to the tournament grounds wondering how the match ups would be decided. When they reached the arena, they were informed that only remaining contestants could continue on to the back, while everyone else must head to the seating area.

The group now split, with Brock and Misty heading to the seating area, while the others went to the battlefield. When everyone was present the announcer spoke. "Ladies and gentlemen, continuing from our amazing battles yesterday comes round two. The match ups are simple, we will use round one's match ups with the winners facing each other. For example, the winner of match one will face the winner of match two. This will continue for all the matches for the remainder of the tournament."

"So that means you're going to face Zach." Ash said to Samurai "And I'm facing..."

"Me." Nate said as he threw his arm around Ash's neck.

Elsewhere in the arena Zach stood there, listening to the news. "So, I don't have to wait to face him. That's some good news." He said with a smile as he walked to the battlefield to watch the matches for the first time.

The group watched the matches with amazement towards the strength of the trainers. It was now time for Samurai's match with Zach. "Our next match features two trainers who both gave us interesting matches in the first round. This match will be between Zach of Pallet Town and Samurai of Clear Village." The announcer yelled to the crowd.

Samurai and Zach both walked down to the battlefield and met in the middle to exchange greetings with each other.

"So, you get your match sooner than you expected." Samurai said to the trainer.

"Just don't hold back. I'm expecting a great battle, and I better be getting one." Zach responded as they shoke hands before heading to their respective sides.

* * *

 **Team:**

 **Nick- 3 badges:**

 **Eevee- quick attack, swift, dig, sand-attack**

 **Beedrill- poison sting, fury attack, twinneedle, hyper beam**

 **Krabby- bubble, water gun, stomp, vicegrip**

 **Charmander- flamethrower, ember, dragon rage, metal claw**

 **Samurai:**

 **Pinsir-: x-scissor, harden, revenge, vicegrip**

 **Metapod- harden, string shot**

 **Paras- leech life, stun spore, fury cutter**


	11. A Battle of Honor

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Pokemon.**

Character thoughts are italicized

* * *

The two trainers stood on their respective sides, thinking on the pokemon they would be using. "Okay, now's a good time for this one. Metapod, come fight for me!" Samurai tossed the pokeball and out came Metapod. This surprised everyone because they all knew how a pokemon like Metapod had difficulty moving.

This angered Zach. "You think using a Metapod is funny? I was hoping for an interesting match, instead I get to fight a weak Metapod." He tossed his pokeball and out came a Hitmonlee. "Mega kick." Hitmonlee ran towards his opponent, jumping in the air and straightening his leg forward, ready to collide with Metapod.

"Don't underestimate us. If there is one thing I've learned, anything is possible if you believe in your pokemon. Metapod, use harden!" Metapod's body flashed white for a second and then stiffened. Hitmonlee now made contact with the bug type, but instead of anything happening Hitmonlee mearly bounced off the pokemon. "Even if we don't have any offensive moves, the ones we have are good enough to beat you." Samurai proclaimed

"Oh really, I'd like to see you stop this. Hitmonlee, hi jump kick." Hitmonlee sprang from the ground with his knee extended, ready to hit Metapod. The pokemon was moving at such amazing speed that harden wouldn't work as well as before.

Samurai mearly laughed. "You think you'll win when you let emotions get to you. Metapod, stay perfectly still." The pokemon did as it was told, not moving an inch. Everyone watched as Hitmonlee grew closer. "Okay, use string shot." Metapod shot a strand of silk from it's mouth which flew past Hitmonlee. The string collided with the back wall of the building creating a long strand of the string running across the battlefield. "Okay, swing yourself away." Metapod began shaking back and forth until enough momentum was there to allow Metapod to move. It managed to dodge the oncoming attack thanks to this.

Hitmonlee continued flying through the air and ended up colliding with the ground, causing him extreme pain. Zach was only getting more and more upset as the battle continued. "You think this is funny. Are you trying to embarrass me!?" He yelled in anger. "Well, it won't work, use brick break." Hitmonlee had recovered faster than Samurai thought he would and was now charging towards Metapod as his hand glowed bright white. Before Samurai could do anything, Metapod had been hit. The force of the attack causing his shell to crack.

"Metapod, are you alright!?" Samurai yelled to his pokemon, only there was no response. Metapod just sat there, his shell cracked all around his body. Samurai lowered his head, disappointed in himself for having Metapod fight, but something caught his attention. Metapod was glowing brightly, and his shell was falling apart. Out of the light, a purple butterfly emerged, spreading it's wings. "You, evolved." He said, staring at his newly evolved Butterfree.

"It doesn't matter if it evolved or not, we won't lose to it. Hitmonlee, mega kick!" Hitmonlee jumped up and headed straight for Butterfree.

"Gotcha." Samurai said as Hitmonlee's leg collided with Butterfree. "Now, sleep powder!" Butterfree flapped it's wings as a powdery substance emerged from it's wings. The powder fell down onto Hitmonlee, who inhaled it and immediately became drowsy. After about 30 seconds the pokemon was fast asleep. "Okay, now to finish this. Aerial Ace!" Butterfree sped towards his opponent at an overwhelming speed. Within a few seconds Butterfree had already closed the gap between the two pokemon. It now unleashed a final burst of speed as it collided with Hitmonlee, knocking it out.

Zach was surprised, but also upset at his own failure. "That was an interesting battle, but I must grow stronger." He began to turn away when Samurai called out to him.

"Don't be so hard on yourself. You can't win every battle." He said, as he outstretched his arm, shaking Zach's hand. He then added, "Don't forget why you're travelling, it isn't for your father." Samurai then returned to his group of friends while Zach headed towards the nearest exit, ready to move on.

"Hey, pretty risky on using Metapod. You got lucky that it evolved when it did." Nate told the bug type trainer.

"Well, I wasn't expecting it to evolve. My plan was to use an old strategy I had seen before. By using string shot to move around the field, I was going to trap Hitmonlee in a web. Then have Metapod swing in and beat him." Samurai explained.

"Well, where did you see that idea from?" Ash asked, wanting to learn about this strategy.

"The truth is, I saw it during one of Nick's gym battles. Back when his Beedrill was a Kakuna he used the same idea, only his worked better."

Everyone looked at Nick, who wasn't paying attention to them. "Earth to Nick, is anyone home?" Nate asked as he snapped his fingers in front of his face. This brought Nick's attention back to reality and out of his mind. "What are you thinking so hard about anyway?"

"Well, I can't explain it, but it feels like someone is watching us. I don't know who or why, but I've had the strangest feeling since this morning." Nick told everyone, causing them to become nervous.

"It's probably just one of the remaining trainers, they're probably just curious about our skills." Ash tried to reassure everyone.

Nick decided it was best to end it now. "Ya, you're probably right. Besides, the building is packed so all these people are watching us. If anything I'm just nervous."

Nick wasn't wrong though,someone was watching the group. Whoever it was had entered the tournament, and had been watching them from the beginning with a feeling of anger towards the trainers from Pallet Town.

"Alright, let's get these matches going." The announcer called out to the crowd. "This next match pits two trainers from the same town against each other. We have Nate, the trainer who kept his cool despite a type disadvantage taking on Ash. Ash barely won his last battle, pulling off a quick change in his strategy. Both of them are from Pallet Town and this match is looking like it could get interesting!"

The two trainers reached the battlefield and walked to the middle. While shaking each other's hand Nate spoke up. "Now don't go easy just because you know me, I'm not holding back and I wouldn't expect anything less from you."

This only managed to pump Ash up even more. "Oh, don't worry. When we're done you're going to wish I went easy." The two trainers then returned to their respective sides to begin the battle. "Bulbasaur, I choose you." The grass type appeared before Ash, ready to fight.

"Alright, if that's how you're playing. Ivysaur come on out." Nate called out his pokemon as a larger version of Bulbasaur emerged. The only difference was the bulb on it's back was opened unlike Bulbasaur's. "Let's start off with vine whip." Two vines emerged from the plant on Ivysaur's back and headed towards Bulbasaur.

"Bulbasaur, counter with our vine whip." Vines emerged from Bulbasaur's plant as well. The two attacks collided, neither side gaining any ground. The attacks remained this way for a few minutes, the crowd watching as neither side was backing down. Eventually, Bulbasaur was overpowered and Ivysaur's vines broke through. They wrapped themselves around Bulbasaur and lifted the pokemon into the air, only to fling it back onto the ground. "Bulbasaur, are you okay?" Ash asked his pokemon. Bulbasaur rose to his feet, ready to fight some more. "Alright, use razor leaf." A swarm of leaves shot out of the plant on it's back and flew towards Ivysaur.

The grass type waited for an order to come, watching the attack move closer. "Ivysaur, we've had enough fun. Use sunny day." Immediately the room grew brighter and hotter, as if the sun itself was in the building. "Now, solarbeam!" The plant on it's back began glowing as Ivysaur stored energy. Thanks to sunny day it managed to gather enough energy to launch the attack in a short amount of time. "Fire!" Ivysaur tilted the plant forward as the beam shot out of it, destroying the razor leaf and then continuing until it hit Bulbasaur. The strength of the blast was enough to defeat the grass type and win the match for Nate.

"Nate, that was a great battle." Ash called out to his friend. "I wish that I was the one winning, but to lose to a friend is fine with me." He then headed back to Nick and Samurai as Nate followed behind.

"Your Bulbasaur isn't too bad, a little more training and it might have given us an even harder time."

Nick decided to joke around with the duo. "What do you mean 'give you a hard time' the battle was so one sided from the start. Ivysaur completely overwhelmed Bulbasaur."

Ash didn't appreciate this mocking and fought back. "Well, I'd like to see you do better. But first you'd need to win two more battles."

Nick figured it was best to drop it instead of arguing and returned to watching the remaining battles. Once again, his battle was the very last one of the round and that was how it would be for the rest of the tournament. As Nick was watching, he felt the familiar feeling that he was being watched. He slightly turned his head both ways to see if he could notice something. That's when he saw it. One of the remaining trainers were steering at him, as soon as the person saw Nick looking their way they immediately looked elsewhere. Nick didn't know who this person was, and couldn't even see what they looked like as they were hidden by a black cloak they were wearing. After two more matches it was finally Nick's turn, and it turns out he would be facing the same person that's been watching him for the whole day.

"Now it's time for our last match of the second round. In this match we have the young trainer Nick from Pallet Town. In his last battle he pulled victory from the jaws of defeat when his Beedrill learned hyper beam. His opponent goes by the name of E. Nothing is known about them except for how they quickly beat their opponent in round one." The announcer told the crowd, trying to pump them up.

The two walked to the middle of the battlefield to meet. Once there,Nick's opponent didn't shake his hand and just stood there starring at him. Nick couldn't see the person's eyes as they were covered by a hood. It still felt like they were trying to pierce through him like a knife. While standing there, Nick could have sworn he smelled the familiar fragrance of flowers found only in Pallet Town. Instead of waiting any longer, Nick returned to his respective side and waited for his opponent to do so. Eventually, Nick's opponent went to their respective side as well and the match was about to begin.

The two trainers stood there facing each other. For some reason, it didn't feel right to Nick, like this person was extremely upset at him and he had no clue what he did. He needed to know. "Hey you!" He called to his opponent. "I have this feeling that you're upset at me. Did I do something to you, if I did could you tell me what I did. That way I can fix this problem."

Unfortunately, his opponent mearly turned their head away from Nick. They kept the same body language as before, but Nick felt like he was in trouble. His opponent reached for a pokeball and tossed it, revealing a Meowth.

 _What did I get myself into?_ He thought to himself as he grabbed a pokeball. "Eevee, I choose you." He said, tossing Eevee's pokeball and the pokemon appeared before Nick, ready to fight.

* * *

 **Reviews:**

 **Blaze Falcon: Thanks, I really enjoyed writing ch 10. About Samurai and Zach, it isn't really a bond, more of a mutual understanding. Samurai knows what Zach is going through as he did before, only he had the right guidance telling him not to worry about the family name during his travels. He just wants to help Zach out.**

 **Team:**

 **Nick- 3 badges:**

 **Eevee- swift, quick attack, dig, sand-attack**

 **Beedrill- poison sting, fury attack, hyper beam, twinneedle**

 **Krabby- vicegrip, bubble, water gun, stomp**

 **Charmander- flamethrower, ember, dragon rage, metal claw**

 **Samurai:**

 **Pinsir- x-scissor, revenge, harden, vicegrip**

 **Butterfree- sleep powder, aerial ace**

 **Paras- leech life, stun spore, fury cutter**


	12. Friendly Surprise?

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Pokemon.**

Character thoughts are italicized.

* * *

"You really don't know what you did?" The trainer asked, their voice sounding feminine and familiar to Nick. "Maybe this will help!" The trainer ripped the cloak off, revealing a young female trainer in a light blue sleeveless shirt and a red skirt. She had brown hair which went all the way down to her shoulders. "Now do you know who I am!"

Nick, alongside Nate, Ash, and Samurai were surprised "Ebony!?" The four trainers said in unison. "What are you doing here, I haven't seen you the whole time I've been here." Nick was trying to stay off her bad side, as he had seen it enough to be scared of it.

Ebony folded her arms across the front of her body and glared at Nick. "Don't play innocent. I saw you when you first ran into Nate. I tried to get you guys' attention, but between the crowd and your rush to register you didn't see me."

"Sorry about that, we didn't see you. But why are you upset?" Nick asked as he let out a nervous chuckle.

"Don't even try and weasel your way out of this. You know I hate being ignored Nick!" Ebony was now yelling at Nick. He didn't know what was worse, being on the receiving end of this or being hit directly by a pokemon's attack.

Nick figured that he should end this match as soon as possible. "Eevee, use swift!" Eevee swung it's tail in front of it's body, creating a swarm of stars to appear and head towards Meowth.

"I'm talking to you, and you decide to attack! I'll teach you some manners, Meowth use thunderbolt." Meowth charged up electricity within it's body before unleashing it on the swarm of stars. "Good, hasn't anyone taught you ladies first! Meowth, fury swipes." Meowth's claws grew in size as the cat pokemon raced towards Eevee.

"Quick, dodge with dig!" Eevee managed to dig a hole fast enough to avoid the oncoming attack.

"Don't get so excited, Meowth after him." Meowth dove into the hole after Eevee. No one could see what was going on, but after a few minutes Eevee was thrown out of the hole covered in claw marks. "See, you can't beat us we're too strong. Meowth, use one more fury swipes." Meowth charged towards Eevee with all it's might, ready to strike.

"Eevee, lower your head and use quick attack." Eevee did as he was told, and the ensuing result was a direct hit to Meowth's stomach. The attack made Meowth double over in pain from the hit.

Ebony was not ready to lose just yet. "Meowth, can you get up?" The young girl asked. Meowth rose from the ground and was ready to fight again. That's when Ebony thought up a fun idea. "Let's make this a little more fun, shall we? We're going to bet on ourselves. If I win, you're going to travel with me and do whatever I tell you to do . If you win, I'll leave you alone. That means you won't have to put up with my bullying. Do we have a deal?"

Nick thought it over and decided that the possible pros outweighed the cons. "Fine, let's do it. Eevee, use swift." Eevee swung it's tail once more, creating a swarm of stars that were headed towards Meowth.

"This trick again, Meowth thunderbolt." Just like before Meowth launched it's attack, cancelling out the two attacks. After the smoke cleared, Eevee was no where to be seen. "Where'd he go,he must be nearby." Just then the ground below Meowth began to crack. "He's beneath you, get away!" But it was too late, Eevee flew from underneath Meowth striking him directly and knocking him out. "Oh no, my poor Meowth. How did you figure out how to beat us?"

"I never did figure out how to win. Just that during the last attack, the smoke provided a cover for us and allowed us to attack without being stopped." The duo walked over to their friends who were now nervous, unsure of what Ebony might do to them.

She was now glaring at all four of them again. "You think I would forget you all ignoring me, think again!" She yelled at the four trainers. Ebony was about to start again when the announcer cut her off.

"We will now be taking a one hour break between rounds so that the trainers can rest a little." Hearing this Nick and Samurai decided to get out of here before Ebony started yelling again. The two made it out of the building and onto the crowded streets. The duo walked the streets of Saffron, it was so busy, you could barely move.

As the duo navigated the streets, they noticed someone running and yelling through the streets. The two trainers decided to see what was going on and approached the girl. "What's the matter, is everything alright?" Nick asked. The girl was in a softball uniform which read Johto. Her hair was pink and tied back into two mini pigtails.

"Well, my Clefairy and myself were looking around the city and we ended up getting separated from each other and now I can't find it." She looked like she was ready to start crying.

"Hey, its going to be okay." Nick reassured her. "My name's Nick and this is Samurai, we're going to help you." He said tossing a pokeball into the air. Out came Beedrill who was flying above Nick. "Beedrill, can you search the city for a Clefairy? It got separated from it's trainer and is now lost."

"Bee.." The pokemon replied before speeding off. The three trainers decided to look on foot as they checked the city. They ended up passing by the Saffron gym and the Silph co. After what seemed like 30 minutes Beedrill returned trying to lead everyone to Clefairy.

"Beedrill is back, that must be good news." Nick said as he followed Beedrill with the other two trainers right behind him. After about 5 minutes they found Clefairy sitting in an alleyway all by itself.

The Clefairy's trainer immediately went up to her pokemon and made sure it was alright. After checking on Clefairy, the trainer turned to face Nick and Samurai. "I guess in all this commotion I never did introduce myself. My name is Whitney, I travelled here from Johto for the celebrity softball series between the Kanto gym leaders and the Johto leaders." Seeing their confused faces she explained. "Every year gym leaders from around Kanto and Johto get together and hold a charity best of three series. Hey, why don't we go get something to eat, it will be my way of thanking you two for helping me." Nick and Samurai tried to decline, but then their stomachs gave them away. A loud rumble came from their two stomachs. When they left the tournament for the hour break they had been looking for something to eat. "I saw a good burger place right up the road, and besides, I won't take no for an answer." She said as she dragged the duo down the street until they reached the restaurant.

The three trainers sat there, eating their burgers when Nick spoke up. "So, what is Johto like, anything like Kanto?"

"Well, Johto really isn't that much different from Kanto. Well, what I've seen of it that is." She said and let out a soft chuckle. "But, why are you two in Saffron, any reason?"

"Well, we came here to challenge the gym. But then a friend of ours told us about a tournament and we just had to enter." Nick explained. He then looked at the time and realized that they needed to head back immediately. The duo thanked Whitney for the meal and were off to get back to the tournament. The duo reached the building in time as they saw their friends walking in as well. The only difference was, they were trying to sneak everyone down onto the battlefield and it was working.

Nick and Samurai caught up to the group and walked with them down to the battlefield. Where the remaining contestants were waiting. Upon seeing the last few trainers arrive, the announcer addressed the crowd. "Welcome back everyone, I hope you're all looking forward to great battles because now only the top 8 trainers remain. By this time tomorrow only one will be left." He began, but Nick didn't hear the rest as Ebony was yelling at him again.

"What did I do this time, I was only listening to the announcer." Nick cried, pleading his case.

"What did I just say to you, or did you not care enough to listen!" She yelled, while tapping her foot out of annoyance.

All Nick could do was laugh sheepishly. He had been listening to the announcer that he didn't know if the others said anything to him.

"I'll repeat it one more time, after that you're out of luck. Once this tournament is over, I'm going to be travelling with you and Samurai." She demanded.

This caught Nick by surprise, he wasn't expecting anything like this. "Are, you sure. I mean we aren't the neatest people and we can get somewhat boring."

"Well, I don't care, I'm bored of travelling alone. Sure I can travel at whatever pace I want, but it gets lonely. So starting tomorrow I'm your new travelling friend."

Nick moaned silently to himself so that Ebony couldn't hear. He didn't need her coming after him now. Nate laughed at the situation, while Samurai didn't understand why Nick didn't want to travel with more people. "It's not that, he just doesn't want to travel with Ebony. You see, she's been giving him a hard time since he first moved to Pallet Town." Nate explained. "You see, she once glued his shoes to the floor when he was about 4 years old.

The group of seven watched the first match because if Samurai won, he'd be facing the winner of this match. Once the match ended Samurai headed down to the field, ready for his battle.

* * *

 **Team:**

 **Nick- 3 badges:**

 **Eevee- swift, quick attack, dig, sand-attack**

 **Beedrill- poison sting, fury attack, hyper beam, twinneedle**

 **Krabby- vicegrip, bubble, water gun, stomp**

 **Charmander- flamethrower, ember, dragon rage, metal claw**

 **Samurai:**

 **Pinsir- x-scissor, revenge, harden, vicegrip**

 **Butterfree- sleep powder, aerial ace**

 **Paras- leech life, stun spore, fury cutter**


	13. Charmander's Might

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Pokemon.**

Character thoughts are italicized.

* * *

"Alright! The second match is about to begin. In this match we have young Samurai going up against the skilled veteran Tom. Both trainers have shown us completely different strategies during their respective runs to the top 8. We are in store for a wonderful battle." The announcer told the crowd, pumping them up.

Samurai stood on his side of the field, preparing himself for what could be the hardest battle of his young career. "Okay, I'm ready." He said softly to himself. "Paras, come fight for me." He tossed the pokeball and Paras appeared before him.

Tom was no stranger to competitions like this. He had already competed twice in the Kanto league, finishing in the top 8 both times. He was an older man, he had a short hair cut and was beginning to gray a little. He wore a white t-shirt and tan pants. He stood there, pokeball in hand, ready to go. "Golbat, come out!" He yelled while tossing the pokeball. The bat pokemon appeared in front of it's trainer.

The site of a Golbat scared Paras, reminding it of its days in Mt. Moon being attacked by Zubat. Paras immediately ran behind Samurai, cowering in fear. "He, what's the matter?" Samurai asked. "I need you to battle right now. I know your scared, but I know you can overcome it if you do your best." He said, finishing his pep talk. It seemed to work as Paras had returned to the field, trying to settle down.

"Listen, I've watched your matches, your a great trainer. It's just, your Paras doesn't seem interested in battling so I'll end this quickly. Golbat, use bite." Golbat flew down onto Paras and bit into the pokemon. It held on for a while, until Paras managed to shake it off. "Its stronger than it looks. You raised it well. Golbat, wing attack." Golbat's wings glowed white as it charged towards Paras.

"Paras! Whatever happens, hold that spot." Samurai told his pokemon. He watched while Golbat flew in closer. Just as it came to within stricking distance he was ready. "Paras, stop Golbat with slash." Paras' claws extended and glowed white as they collided with Golbat's wings. Both pokemon were trying to push the other back, but neither were giving an inch. After a while Paras was beginning to be overpowered and Golbat broke through, landing a hit on Paras. "Don't let it escape. Stun spore." Paras shook the mushrooms on it's back, creating a cloud of yellow spores to enter the air. Golbat ended up flying through it, causing it to breath in the spores. The effects were immediate, Golbat couldn't maintain flying any longer and landed on the ground. "Paras, show them your true strength! Finish it with slash!" Paras raced towards the grounded bat. Golbat tried to get away, but couldn't move due to the stun spore attack immobilizing him. Paras slashed the pokemon with it's claws, knocking it out. Samurai recalled Paras to it's pokeball and then headed back to the group, while walking back he ran into Nate who was heading down for his match.

"That was some battle. But what else have we grown to expect from the bug type trainer from Clear Village. Next up is Nate who will be facing Dean. Both trainers are relatively new, but you'd never think that after their previous matches." The announcer told the crowd.

Nate stood on his side, ready to get going. "Alright Cubone, show them your stuff." He said while tossing the pokeball, revealing his pokemon. Cubone appeared on the field, doing a little back flip out of excitement. "You always have so much energy Cubone."

Dean stood on the other side of the field, he had a bowl cut for a hair style. He wore a white lab coat and dress pants along with glasses. "If my calculations are correct, Poliwag should do the trick." He said, tossing a pokeball. Poliwag appeared in front of him, ready to fight. "Start off with bubblebeam." Poliwag shot a trail of bubbles towards Cubone.

"Cubone, pop the bubbles with your bonemerang!" Cubone spun it's bone around his fingers before throwing it through the bubblebeam attack. It cut through the attack easily and continued until it hit the Poliwag directly. The bone continued going until it spun around and hit Poliwag again, knocking it out. Everyone just stood there shocked. _How did he get this far?_ Nate thought to himself. He then thought back to this trainer's previous battles and realized he ended up in the easiest spot for the tournament.

Even the announcer was having a hard time of saying something about the battle as it was finished faster, than his introduction for the match. "Wow, can you believe it." He managed to say. "Cubone's attack was so strong, it knocked Poliwag out in one hit. That's some good training there folk. Now, its time for the last match in round 3. This is between Nick and Kevin. Nick has showed a mix of skill and luck in his two matches, while Kevin has used nothing but raw strength. Let's begin!"

Nick was ready, he had to wait all round once again. _Only myself would end up in the last match of round 1._ He thought while laughing. "Charmander, I choose you." He tossed the pokeball and the fire type appeared. Once it appeared Charmander flexed it's arm, trying to show off it's strength.

Kevin was amused by it, but didn't want to say anything until after. Kevin was a little older than Nick. He wore a plain black sweatshirt with blue shorts. "Golem, its your turn." He said, calling out his pokemon. "Golem, use rollout." Golem rolled up into a ball and charged towards Charmamder. He was moving at an alarming speed and was only moving faster as he rolled on.

"Charmander!" Nick yelled, trying to keep him calm. "Use flamethrower on it." Charmander opened his mouth and the trail of flames shot out and engulfed Golem. Unfortunately, the flames only slowed him down, they couldn't stop him completely. Nick thought quickly on how to stop it, but before an answer came Charmander was hit. The rollout sent him flying into the air, with Golem turning back around ready to strike again. "Charmander, use metal claw!" Charmander landed on his two feet, having recovered from the hit. His claws on his hands grew and became metallic. They then collided with Golem. The two pokemon wouldn't budge, but Golem's strength was too much for the fire type, sending him into the sky again. This time Charmander didn't land on his feet and collapsed from the pain. "Charmander!" Nick called out in concern. "Are you alright!? Just give up, I'm going to forfeit. Your health is more important."

Just then Charmander rose, he flexed his right arm like before telling Nick he was alright. Another rollout hit him and he fell again only to stand back up. This time, when he rose and flexed his arm, he began to glow and change shape. "Charmander, you're evolving." Nick said in awe as he watched Charmander become a Charmelon right before his eyes.

Kevin wasn't taking any chances. "Golem, hit it again with rollout." Golem began to roll fast again and he was heading towards Charmelon.

"Charmelon, watch out." Nick told his pokemon. Charmelon just stood there watching, he then opened his mouth. Out came the strongest flamethrower Nick had ever seen. It completely engulfed the rock type, even bringing it to a stop. "Alright, now use dragon rage." Charmelon shot out the ball of fire towards his opponent.

Kevin merely laughed. "Oh, this was fun, but the fun has to end sometime. Golem, use stone edge." Golem stood still as it summoned stones all around it's body before launching them right through the dragon rage and right into Charmelon. The attack hit him directly and blew him back.

"Charmelon, can you still battle?" Nick asked. He noticed Charmelon rise up off the ground and begin to flex his arm just like he'd been doing this whole match, but before he could finish he fell backwards and was knocked out. The first thought in Nick's head was _I lost?_ That was then followed by a second thought. _How is Charmelon doing?_ Nick ran over to his pokemon, concerned for it's well being. He recalled it into it's pokeball and watched as Kevin walked towards him.

"I enjoyed our battle. Your Charmelon was quite impressive. I didn't think it would of been able to withstand all those rollouts. But anyway, I'm planning to enter the Kanto league once I earn enough badges, I hope to see you there. Who knows, maybe we could have a rematch there." Kevin said as he recalled Golem and left the field.

Nick walked back to the group where everyone congratulated him on a good run through the tournament. He was disappointed, but didn't want his friends to see it so he played along. "Ya, we all have done well."

Just then the announcer began talking. "It is my job to bring you this rather unfortunate news. Trainer Kevin has been forced to drop out of the tournament. Due to tournament rules, since Nick already lost before Kevin quit he is still out. This leaves us with a dilemma, three semi-finalists. So, to fix this problem we will be holding a three way battle to determine the winner. But first we will take a 30 minute break. Once we return it shall be Jasmine vs Samurai vs Nate." The announcer said. It had become difficult to hear by the end as the crowd had reached a new level of loudness from the news.

"Wow, a three fight. Sounds kinda cool if you ask me." Nate said to the group.

"You guys get all the fun. I wish I could be out there right now." Ash whined.

We all wish we could be out there. I've never seen a three way battle before, this could be history in the making." Misty replied to Ash.

"You're all lucky that I'm not in this battle, or I'd be walking away the winner." Ebony proclaimed. Everyone sweatdropped from this. She had lost in the second round to Nick, and she thought that she could win the finals if she had made it that far.

While everyone else was talking, having a good time, Nick wasn't. All he could picture was Charmander being hit constantly by roolout and Charmelon being hit by stone edge. _If I was stronger, he wouldn't of got as hurt. Zach is right, reading something in a book and knowing facts on it are different than battling._ He thought as a tear formed in his eye. He quickly wiped it away, but Ebony noticed it and decided to keep it to herself.

Nick was still in deep thought when he heard a voice yell at him. "Nick, are you even listening to us!" Ebony yelled at the trainer. "Don't even think about ignoring me either. Now tell us, who do you think will win." It was a simple question, but the young female from Pallet Town was now glaring at him. "Well, we're waiting."

Nick quickly snapped back to reality, hiding away any chance that the self doubt he had would be shown to anyone. "Well, I can't really say. As long as its Nate or Samurai I'll be happy." He said while smiling.

Just then the announcer came back on the mike. "Ladies and gentlemen, the moment you've all been waiting for. The final match to decide the winner of the Saffron City Battle Tournament is about to begin. The match will be a three way battle and the competitors are on their way down. The match is Jasmine from Pewter City vs Samurai from Clear Village vs Nate of Pallet Town. This will be an exciting match so no one leave just yet."

Nate and Samurai started to walk to the field when they heard a voice from behind. "Have fun guys. It doesn't matter who wins, as long as you have fun." Nick told the duo before they left. They were now standing on the center of the battlefield with Jasmine, finishing introducing each other. They all walked to an area of the field and grabbed their pokeballs, ready to begin.

* * *

 **Team:**

 **Nick- 3 badges:**

 **Eevee- swift, quick attack, dig, sand-attack**

 **Beedrill- poison sting, fury attack, hyper beam, twinneedle**

 **Krabby- vicegrip, bubble, water gun, stomp**

 **Charmelon- flamethrower, ember, dragon rage, metal claw**

 **Samurai:**

 **Pinsir- x-scissor, revenge, harden, bulldoze**

 **Butterfree- sleep powder, aerial ace**

 **Paras- leech life, stun spore, fury cutter, slash**


	14. And The Winner Is?

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Pokemon.**

Character thoughts are italicized.

* * *

The three trainers stood in their spots, gripping their pokeballs and waiting. As the announcer signaled for them to begin,they all tossed their pokeballs.

"Pinsir!" Samurai yelled.

"Ivysaur!" Nate yelled.

"Nidorino!" Jasmine yelled.

The three trainers were ready, no one made the first move as they were all waiting for the others to go first. "If no one else wants to start, I'll go. Ivysaur, let's start this off with sunny day." Nate told his partner. Just like in his match with Ash, the building grew brighter and hotter. Both of Nate's opponents knew what was coming next. They had watched his match with Ash and they both were expecting solarbeam.

 _I've got to end this fast._ Jasmine thought to herself. "Nidorino, use shadow claw on Ivysaur." Nidorino charged towards Ivysaur while his two front feet glowed a dark purple and grew in size. Nidorino was closing in on it's target when Pinsir ran in front of it.

"Pinsir, stop Nidorino with x-scissor." Pinsir's arms glowed and grew in size just like Nidorino's did, only his were a light green. The two attacks collided, causing both pokemon to be in a stare down. Neither one giving an inch.

"What are you doing?" Jasmine asked. "Why help him when you'll have to still fight right after this."

"I only have one reason, we battled once before. That time, he beat me. Now I'll beat him, and I don't want to have any interference. Pinsir, jump back and then use bulldoze." Samurai yelled, and Pinsir did as he was told. He ended the attack and jumped back, starting to charge at the pokemon. Pinsir made a direct hit and sent Nidorino flying backwards. "Do you want to finish it, or should I?" He asked Nate.

"I'll handle it. You know, if you wanted a rematch you could have just asked for one." Nate told Samurai. "Ivysaur, use skull bash." Ivysaur lowered it's head and charged towards the poison type pokemon. It made a direct hit, knocking it out. He immediately turned to Samurai and smiled. "Now we can have a real match. Ivysaur, vine whip." Two vines extended from Ivysaur's plant and raced towards Pinsir.

"Pinsir, be careful. These vines have become much stronger than the last time we faced them. Use x-scissor to knock them away if they get too close." Pinsir did exactly as he was told. He managed to dodge the vines for a while, but then they started to become faster, or he became slower. They couldn't really tell. To make up for the speed difference Pinsir began using x-scissor like Samurai recommended. Every time a vine got too close he would hit it back to where it came from.

Nate stood there with a smile on his face. _Nothing is better than having fun with friends._ He thought as he watched Pinsir, trying to find a hole in his defense. _That's it._ He managed to find a small one, but it would do. After hitting the vines back, Pinsir was vulnerable to a close range attack. "Ivysaur, get real close to Pinsir, and then use skull bash." Ivysaur moved forward, continuing to attack with it's vines. Eventually, the grass type was close enough to launch the attack. Ivysaur swung it's vines one more time, then lowered it's head and charged. Pinsir was caught off guard and was hit directly.

"Pinsir! Are you alright, I wasn't paying attention to it moving closer. Quick, before Ivysaur gets away, use revenge." Pinsir managed to stand up and hit Ivysaur with it's fist. Thanks to the increase in strength from using revenge after being hit, the attack sent Ivysaur back to it's side of the field.

Both pokemon were breathing heavily and both trainers knew they couldn't go on mush longer. "Samurai, I wish this battle could go on forever, but we have to end it sooner or later. Ivysaur, use solarbeam." Ivysaur began to charge up the attack, with sunlight being absorbed by the plant on it's back.

Samurai stood there, thinking of a plan. _We don't have any long range attacks to counter with, and in his condition Pinsir can't take the hit. We've only got one thing to do._ As he was thinking, Ivysaur had collected enough sunlight. "Pinsir, I know this sounds crazy, but charge head on with solarbeam." Pinsir just stared at him like he had three eyes. "Listen, use bulldoze to increase your speed. Then when you're close to the attack, use x-scissor to slice a tunnel for yourself."

"Hey, I hope you're ready. Ivysaur, fire!" Ivysaur tilted the plant towards Pinsir and fired the attack, the beam shot like a rocket from Ivysaur's back and was heading towards Pinsir.

"Okay, remember the plan." With that Pinsir charged towards the attack while using bulldoze. When he reached the beam, he used x-scissor to cut a tunnel large enough for himself to fit. The entire crowd was surprised, one minute they saw Pinsir, and in a moment he was gone. Within 10 seconds he emerged from the beam and right infront of Ivysaur. "Pinsir, finish this with x-scissor." Pinsir's arms glowed the same light green from before as they descended down on Ivysaur, knocking it out.

"There you have it. Samurai and Pinsir have won the match and this tournament!" The announcer yelled to the crowd. "Even though we're finished, don't leave yet as we still have the trophy presentation."

Down on the battlefield Nate and Samurai were talking. "Well, I guess we're even for now." Nate said while extending his hand out to shake Samurai's. Samurai reached out and grabbed Nate's hand, shaking it. "You know, some of your ideas are reckless."

Samurai could only let out a mild laugh. He didn't know what to say. "Well, it was either attack head on, or try and take the hit. At that point in the battle I liked our odds with what we did."

As they were talking, Samurai was pulled away for his trophy presentation. He stood on a miniture platform that was just placed following the battle. Up there with him was the announcer. "Samurai, you showed us some amazing battles. Not only that, but you only used bug types no matter what the match up was. It is with my gratitude to be handing you the victor's trophy." The announcer then handed over the small trophy. It was about 4 inches tall, with a miniture pokeball placed on top of the column as the topper. The whole thing was a yellowish gold color.

As Samurai stood there with the trophy, he called out his three pokemon who helped him win the tournament. Together, the four stood in front of the whole crowd, while the news took their picture.

Following a long day the group of seven left the arena and headed back to the Pokemon Center to celebrate. Once they walked in, the group handed Nurse Joy their pokemon so she could take care of them. Then they walked over to the table that they had sat at the first night of the tournament. After everyone settled down, Samurai left to have his trophy shipped to his house, that way it wouldn't be ruined while he traveled.

"I can't believe this tournament is over. It feels like we just got here." Misty said, breaking the silence.

"Well,it was only yesterday that this tournament started." Nate replied back. "But, I know what you mean. This whole tournament was fun. I didn't want it to end." Nate then leaned back in his chair.

"So, Nick, Nate, Ebony. Where are you guys heading to next. I know that we're heading back to Fuschia City to catch a boat to Cinnebar Island. Maybe we're going to the same place." Brock said, curious to see if there was a possibility of them travelling as a group.

"Well, to tell you the truth, I really don't know yet." Nate replied. "I'm planning on going wherever the ride takes me. You know what I mean?"

"Ya, I know. You're not worrying about specific destinations. Let the town come to you instead. So, Nick, where are you heading?" Brock asked the second of three trainers.

Unfortunately, Nick wasn't listening to anyone. All that he was thinking of was back to his match with Kevin. All the pain Charmelon put up with. How he couldn't figure a way to win. Just then he saw a hand flash before his face.

"Hey Nick, you alright?" Nate asked while waving his hand in front of Nick's face.

"Ha, ya I'm fine." He let out a fake laugh. "I was just thinking about what gym to challenge next. I don't think I'm planning on leaving this town for a while. I plan to challenge the gym here." Nick said, lying to everyone. The Saffron gym part was true, but not about thinking of the others.

"I'm 0-2 so far. So Ebony, where are you headed?"

"Well, I was thinking of sight seeing in Saffron and then head towards Celadon City." Ebony replied. "Sorry Brock."

Just then Samurai walked back to the and sat down. "Nurse Joy gave me everyone's pokemon. She said they were all fine." He said as he handed them to their respective trainer.

Seeing Charmelon's pokeball was the last straw. Nick stood up and headed towards the exit. "I'll be back, I just want to get some fresh air." With that he was out the door. Nick had headed towards the back of the Center, where the practice field was located. He sat down on a bench and stared at the sky. He figured no one would see him back here.

Back inside the Center everyone continued talking about their experiences so far and what they were looking forward to. Ebony then stood up, saying she had to use the bathroom. The truth was she was heading to check on Nick. He had been gone for about 15 minutes now. She went out the back exit so no one would see her. Once she was outside, she noticed someone sitting on a bench and realized it was Nick. She walked over and sat down next to him.

"Ebony, what are you doing here? I'm not in the mood for you to annoy me."

This upset the young trainer. She hadn't even said anything yet and he was assuming she was here to belittle him. "Everyone was wondering where you were, so they sent me out here to check on you." She said as kindly as she could. "What's the matter? If its about your battle with Kevin, its alright. Everyone loses once in a while." Nick looked up, Ebony could tell he had been crying something he never had done back in Pallet. Seeing this was strange, no matter how much she bullied him he never cried.

"You wouldn't understand." Was all he said before turning his head.

This wasn't the answer she wanted. She knew that he was upset, but how could she help him, if he just brushed her away. Ebony did something that she didn't think she was going to do. She stood up and walked in front of Nick. Once he was forced to stare at her, she slapped his face. "Don't tell me I don't know. You're not the only trainer to have ever lost a match. You think Zach stays down on himself after a loss? No, he goes out and gets better." She said, sitting back down.

Nick was surprised to be hit, but it and the mention of Zach seemed to help. "No, it isn't the loss I'm upset about. Its how useless I was for Charmelon. He was being hit over and over, and I couldn't do anything. How am I going to be a great trainer when I can't help the pokemon I have."

Ebony was getting fed up with Nick's attitude and finally told it to him as it was. "You think that just because your smart, that you would be fine. The truth is, someone is always trying to knock you down. The good trainers know how to get back up. Everyone is going to have a battle where they doubt themselves, but if you really want to get better, put it behind you and move on. You can come inside with our friends, or you can stay out here and mope around. I really don't care at this point." Ebony stood back up and walked into the Center.

Nick stared back at the Center before thinking over Ebony's words 'someone is always trying to knock you down. The good trainers know how to get back up.' Nick laughed at himself, Ebony was right. He shouldn't get down on his skills, Kevin was better. He just has to keep working. Nick then reached for his face as it was stinging like crazy since Ebony hit him. _She didn't have to hit me though._ He thought to himself as he walked back inside.

Once inside he rejoined everyone at the table and they continued to talk for a while longer until everyone went off to their rooms. The next morning, the group of seven were standing outside the Center, everyone ready to head their separate ways. It was Nate who left first, followed by Ash, Misty and Brock. All that remained were Nick, Samurai and Ebony.

"Well Ebony, we'll be seeing you around." Nick said as Samurai and himself began walking away, but felt a pulling feeling. Nick turned around to see Ebony pulling on his backpack. "You know, I can't leave until you let go."

Ebony just stared at Nick with a glare in her eyes. "Don't tell me you forgot our conversation from yesterday? I told you that I'd be traveling with you two for the time being." Ebony said as she released Nick's backpack from her grip.

Nick was remembering their conversation now. "Oh, you don't want to travel with us. We don't do anything exciting. Also we are pretty messy and unorganized." Nick was trying to dissuade her from traveling with them.

It didn't work though, as Ebony walked between the duo and stood there. "So, where are we headed to?"

Nick knew he wasn't winning this and gave up. "Well, since this gym is closed for at least a week, I was thinking either Vermilion City or Fuschia City by traveling through Lavender Town."

Ebony was in a rush. "Well, pick one so we can get going."

The trio then started walking, having decided on Lavender Town. As they were walking Nick went over to Ebony. "Thanks for last night. I needed someone to screw my head back on."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Ebony said, playing dumb. "But, you're welcome."

The group of three then headed to the gate that would lead them from Saffron City to Lavender Town.

* * *

 **Team:**

 **Nick- 3 badges:**

 **Eevee- swift, quick attack, dig, sand-attack**

 **Beedrill- poison sting, fury attack, hyper beam, twinneedle**

 **Krabby- vicegrip, bubble, water gun, stomp**

 **Charmelon- flamethrower, ember, dragon rage, metal claw**

 **Samurai:**

 **Pinsir- x-scissor, revenge, harden, bulldoze**

 **Butterfree- sleep powder, aerial ace**

 **Paras- leech life, stun spore, fury cutter, slash**

 **Ebony- ? badges:**

 **Meowth- fury swipes, thunderbolt**

 **At least two unknown pokemon**


	15. Ghostly Hospitality

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Pokemon.**

Character thoughts are italicized.

* * *

The group were now leaving Saffron City behind them and were now walking on route 7 as they headed towards Lavender Town. "Are we there yet?" Ebony asked, growing bored from walking all day.

"No, and continuing to ask isn't going to speed us up. Besides, we should be pretty close." Nick said, turning around to face her.

Ebony crossed her arms and looked away. "Why do you even want to head to Lavender Town? There aren't any gyms there. It probably would be faster if we went through Vermilion instead."

"Well, Vermilion City doesn't have what I'm looking for." Nick retorted

"Which is?" Ebony asked, her interest growing.

"Ghost type pokemon. I want to catch one for my future gym match in Saffron." Nick said, as he started to speed up his pace.

Ebony on the other hand stopped in her tracks. "Oh, you don't need a ghost type. A bug type like Beedrill will do fine." She said, trying to change their minds.

"Beedrill will do fine, but I want some insurance in case it faints." Nick said. "Besides, you wouldn't happen to be afraid would you?" He said, teasingly.

"Ha, me afraid. As if, I just don't want you to get scared and have us save you." She replied.

"Hey, if you two are finished," Samurai began. "We reached Lavender Town. From what I've heard, ghost type pokemon can be found in a building near the pokemon tower." He finished as he headed off in the direction of the tower.

The group then followed the path through the town. Nick and Samurai led the way with Ebony trailing behind the duo. They eventually reached the pokemon tower and followed the dirt path behind the tower. They continued walking until they saw something ahead of them.

"It looks like a pokemon. But why is it laying there?" Samurai asked as he reached into his bag for medicine. He then approached the pokemon slowly, as not to scare it. "Its a Ghastly, so we're on the right path. But, why is it beat up so badly." Samurai then sprayed the medicine on Ghastly.

After a while, Ghastly regained it's consciousness and awoke to see Nick and Samurai near it and Ebony further away. It's first reaction was to run, but when he tried to it collapsed from fatigue. "Hey, its okay. We're here to help." Nick told the ghost type. "I don't know who did this, but I have a feeling that whoever it was will be at the end of the path." He said standing up. "Let's go."

Nick then started walking, carrying the fatigued Ghastly in his arms with Samurai and Ebony behind him. They then reached the building. It looked like it used to be a hotel as a no vacancy sign was on ground. The building looked like it was deserted for a while, windows were boarded up and the paint had faded. "Whoever hurt Ghastly is in here, let's go." Nick said as Samurai and himself started to head in. They then both realized Ebony wasn't following them.

"Ebony, come on, we're heading in now. We want to stay together so we don't get lost." Samurai told her, motioning her to follow.

Ebony just stood there, looking like someone they had never seen before. Gone was the calm and confident trainer and in her place was a frightened child, unable to handle her emotions. "Y-you guys g-go on ahead. I'll st-stay here." She managed to say between her shaking.

Nick was going to push the issue, but Samurai could see how badly she was afraid. "Listen, how about you stay here with Ghastly while we head inside. Pinsir, come on out." He said, tossing a pokeball. Nick did the exact same thing, only Eevee appeared for him.

The duo headed into the abandoned hotel, ready to confront the person who attacked Ghastly. As they walked through the building, they saw just how beautiful it used to be. The ballroom was huge, they had three dinning halls, an indoor pool and an arcade. The two trainers passed through a door which led them into the kitchen. Just as they walked in, something slammed the door behind them shut. Everyone jumped from the sudden sound of the slamming door.

"Hey, does anyone else feel like we're being watched?" Samurai asked.

"Ya. Cover your eyes for a second." Nick told Samurai, who did exactly as he was told. "Eevee, use sand-attack, but spin while using it." Eevee spun in a circle while throwing sand everywhere. The sand covered every inch of the room, including those watching them. As the sand fell it created an outline of a Gengar and at least a dozen Ghastly.

"So, I guess it wasn't a person. This Gengar probably is the leader of these Ghastly. He probably attacked the Ghastly we found." Samurai told his friend.

"Who do you think you are!" Nick yelled at the leader. "Attacking an innocent pokemon." No response, just as Nick expected. But what he didn't expect was the Ghastly attacking. Red rings shot from their eyes and hit the group. They immediately grew drowsy from the attack. "What is this?"

"Its hypnosis, try and fight it." Samurai demanded. It was no use, they were falling asleep. First Eevee, then Pinsir, followed by Nick. Samurai was now feeling the effects take hold. Doing the only thing he could, he grabbed a pokeball and tossed it towards the exit. Paras appeared from it. "Paras! Get to the exit. Try and warn Ebony of what happened." Was all Samurai could say before passing out. Paras watched as his friends were being carried away by the ghost types. Paras quickly ran for the exit, running out the front door so fast it collided with Ebony, knocking her over.

"Hey! Watch where you're going!" She yelled, before noticing that it was Paras and no one else. "Hey, where's the others?"

Paras immediately began shaking it's claws all over the place. "Pa, par par." It said, trying to tell Ebony.

Unfortunately, she couldn't understand the pokemon and stood there with a blank stare on her face. The commotion woke Ghastly up who immediately overheard Paras. Hearing the news Ghastly flew in circles, scared from the news it heard. Ebony was still confused over the two pokemon, but knew something was up. She reached for a pokeball and tossed, having a Charmelon appear. His tail was able to light up the area. She walked to the entrance with the three pokemon by her side. "I hope I'm making the right decision." She said while trying to calm her nerves.

The group of four walked through the same path as Nick and Samurai did earlier. Ghastly was leading the way, having been inside before. Once they reached the kitchen, Ghastly tried motioning to the others to stay quiet. They managed to make it to the back of the kitchen where they found a swarm of Ghastly surrounding something. The group inched close enough to make out five figures. Ebony could tell four of them were her friends. "Okay," Ebony whispered to her group. "We all attack at once. Okay ready, go. Charmelon, fire spin!" Charmelon shot out a vortex of flames that engulfed the hoarde of Ghastly.

Paras then shot out what looked like a green sphere of energy. _Haven't seen that before. Better not forget to tell Samurai._ Ebony thought as she watched the Ghastly with them use night shade on the group. "We did it!" She yelled as she went to wake up her friends. When they reached them, she realized that the fifth figure was an elderly Ghastly. Seeing their Ghastly's reaction told her everything. "He's the true leader, isn't he. Someone overthrew him, and is using these Ghastly."

Just then the Gengar appeared and launched a shadow ball at them. No one noticed except for Ghastly who used night shade to counter. Ebony, thinking that they would need help to beat Gengar went over to the group and tried to wake them up. Nothing was working, and she was starting to worry as Ghastly was losing. "I'm sorry guys." She whispered before slapping all four of them, waking them on the spot.

"Ah! Why are you always hitting me? I didn't even do anything." Nick yelled, with the others agreeing.

"Well I'm sorry that I'm saving you all from the Gengar over there." She yelled at the four, while pointing at the Gengar.

"That's right, the last thing I remember was seeing that Gengar." Nick said as he reached for a pokeball. "He's strong and we'll need help. Krabby, I choose you." Nick said as he tossed a pokeball. Krabby appeared, being it's happy self. "Krabby, use water gun on that Gengar!" Krabby raised it's claw and a stream of water flew out, hitting Gengar.

This upset Gengar, who turned and fired a shadow ball at the group. Paras, seeing the attack fired it's attack from before, cancelling out the attack. Samurai was impressed by Paras's new attack. "Paras, was that energy ball just now? I'm really proud of how far you've come since I met you."

Gengar was now annoyed, firing off shadow balls. One right after another. Nick, knowing that they needed to all attack at once but decided to get something out of this. "Eevee," Nick called to his pokemon. "Watch Gengar closely, try and copy that shadow ball attack. Once you feel comfortable, launch it at him." Eevee did just that, it took about a dozen tries before he could fire one. Even though the accuracy wasn't that great, he managed to hit the Gengar. Nick decided now was their chance. "Everyone, use the strongest attacks you can." With it, they all launched their attacks. Energy ball, fire spin, night shade, water gun and shadow ball all combined together into one gigantic attack which sent Gengar flying out of the hotel.

Following the explosion, the elder Ghastly awoke from the noise. He was immediately surrounded by his followers, excited that he was back in control. Knowing their work was finished, Nick, Samurai, and Ebony left the hotel and continued on the path back towards Lavender Town.

Walking along the path Nick stopped. "Hm, whats wrong Nick?" Samurai asked, seeing Nick was upset.

"We had all those Ghastly, and I didn't catch one." He cried.

Ebony, seeing a moment to seem that she was right, joined in. "Well, if you listened to me in the first place, we wouldn't have run into that Gengar." She continued walking until she passed the two, only to stop a little further up.

"Why'd you stop now. Don't tell me you want a Ghastly also." Nick said, but he could see her knees shaking and realized what it was. "Move over, I've got a pokemon to catch." He ran past Ebony to see that the Ghastly they helped had followed them this far. "So Ghastly, want to travel with us?" He asked, holding a pokeball. Ghastly immediately flew into it, allowing itself to be captured.

"So, I guess you did catch your ghost type after all." Samurai said as they reached the Pokemon Center. "It's getting late, so we might as well stay the night." He then went and reserved two rooms. One he would share with Nick and the other Ebony would use. "You guys can go on ahead, I just have to make a call first." Samurai reached the phones and called home, checking up on everyone.

The phone rang as he waited, after four rings, Endo picked up from the other end. "Hey, little brother, long time no see. How's your journey going?"

"Its going fine. Hey, I was wondering, did my trophy make it home yet? It isn't like me to worry over stuff like this, but, its the first trophy I've ever won."

"Ya, it came in the mail today. I am impressed at how well you did at that tournament. I wish I could have seen it, unfortunately, since it isn't a league sanctioned event it isn't broadcast live. I caught recaps online, but it isn't the same."

"Ya, some were really interesting, but I pulled through. How's the gym doing?"

Endo laughed. "Its only been two days since you won, but people have been heading to the gym to challenge me. You helped get the gym's name on the map. Since yesterday I've had ten matches. My pokemon are exhuasted."

Samurai laughed, he didn't realize people would head to the gym after he told the press he was from Clear Village a place which recently had a gym approved. "I didn't think it would be so busy so soon."

Now it was Endo who seemed a little nervous. "I was wondering, could you head down to the Safari Zone in Fuchsia City and catch a few bug types for the gym?"

"Ya, we're actually heading down there now. When we reach Fuchsia, we'll head straight for the Safari Zone. I have to get going though, tell dad I said hi." Samurai told his brother before ending the call.

Samurai then went down to his room, where he went to sleep for the night. The next day everyone was up early, ready to get going.

* * *

 **Team:**

 **Nick- 3 badges:**

 **Eevee- swift, quick attack, dig, shadow ball**

 **Beedrill- twinneedle, poison sting, fury attack, hyper beam**

 **Krabby- water gun, bubble, stomp, vicegrip**

 **Charmelon- flamethrower, ember, dragon rage, metal claw**

 **Ghastly- night shade**

 **Samurai:**

 **Pinsir- x-scissor, revenge, bulldoze, harden**

 **Butterfree- aerial ace, sleep powder**

 **Paras- energy ball, stun spore, fury cutter, slash**

 **Ebony- ? badges:**

 **Charmelon- fire spin**

 **Meowth- thunderbolt, fury swipes**

 **At least one unknown pokemon**


	16. The Perfect Cast

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Pokemon**

Character thoughts are italicized.

* * *

As Nick and his friends are continuing on their way towards Fuchsia City, they decided to get up early and leave Lavender Town. "Let's get out of this ghoulish town, the faster the better." Ebony demanded as she walked out of the Pokemon Center.

"Oh come on," Nick said. "You have to admit, not all ghost types are evil. I mean, just look at Ghastly." Nick said as he let the pokemon out of it's pokeball. The ghost type flew around the group until it landed in front of Ebony, scaring her.

"All ghost types may not be evil, but they're all creepy and scary. Please, recall Ghastly." Ebony asked, her knees shaking.

"Why are you so afraid anyway. A strong trainer knows not to allow an opponent to see their weaknesses." Samurai lectured.

"Well, it isn't any of your business about what goes on in my life." Ebony replied, angering Samurai.

"You know what, don't listen to me. Then during the league, when you lose to a ghost type it'll be your fault." Samurai said, walking further away.

The whole time Nick and Ghastly were standing there, wondering what to do. "You know what Ghastly, pokemon are easier to work with than people." With that Nick returned Ghastly to it's pokeball and continued on.

The group had reached the edge of Lavender Town, the city couldn't be seen from here as a light fog was rolling in. The only landmark from the city that was visible was Pokemon Tower, a place to rest pokemon that have passed on. The group wandered through the forest, hoping they would find the boardwalk that accompanied route 12. As they went deeper in, lush wildlife grew thicker and made the path narrower and the fog was only getting thicker. Eventually it wasn't possible to see more than a foot in front of you.

"Ahhh!" Nick yelled as he walked forward. The problem was, the land ended and Nick fell into the ocean. Nick knew he would be alright, he was a good swimmer. The only problem was that he didn't know where the land was.

"Nick! Where are you!" Samurai called out, while Ebony reached for a pokeball.

Before either one could do anything, a new voice called out. "Pidgeotto, use defog." A bird appeared in front of Samurai, blowing the fog away and showing that Nick had actually drifted further out into the ocean when he thought he was going to the shore. "Staryu, I choose you." The boy threw a pokeball into the water and the starfish pokemon appeared. "Go over to that boy and bring him back to shore." Staryu swam over to Nick and gave him a ride back to shore.

Once Nick was back on shore he reached for a pokeball. "Charmelon, I choose you." Nick tossed the pokeball and Charmelon stood before Nick. "Do you mind if I use your flame to start a small fire?" Nick asked pointing to a pile of sticks Samurai had grabbed after Nick was back on shore.

"Char." Charmelon replied, flexing his right arm like always did and shot an ember attack at the pile.

"Thanks Charmelon." Nick said as he recalled the fire type. He then faced the boy that helped him. "I'd also like to thank you. If you didn't show up I'd probably still be drifting away."

The boy looked about Nick's age, but was shorter than Nick. He wore a red swim trunks and a blue and white stripped shirt. "Your welcome, I couldn't just leave someone out there. The name's Brendan." He told them. The group then introduced themselves to the boy. "If I may ask, but why were you traveling through the fog. Most trainers wait until it lightens."

"Well you see," Nick began explaining "we were on our way to Fuchsia City. I'm a pokemon trainer and I'm trying to collect enough badges to compete at the league."

"Ah, I see. For a minute I thought you were entering the fishing derby. Its held every 6 months. Trainers from all over come here to try and catch a water type pokemon. First place is an all you can eat cook out." Brendan explained.

"So, I understand your entering, but are you planning to join the league as well?" Samurai asked.

"Oh no, I don't enjoy battling. You see, these two pokemon were gifts from my father before he left on his job. You see, he's a fisherman so he's always travelling. When I grow up I want to have my own boat and be able to become a great fisherman." He said as he pretended to cast a reel. "I'm entering to practice my skills, dad says if I improve enough by the next trip I might be able to go with him."

"That's a pretty interesting dream you have. After hearing it, you've got me wanting to enter this tournament as well." Nick said standing up. "What about you two?" He asked his two friends. They both replied ya and the group of four left, with Brendan leading the way.

"The rules are simple." Brendan explained. "You're allowed only one pokemon with you on your boat. You also can only use the derby's special pokeballs and you have a two hour time limit."

The group continued walking until they finally found the boardwalk that connected route 12. They followed the path for about another 10 minutes until they came upon a small fishing shack that had a dock extend off it. The group walked inside and waited to register.

After another 10 minutes they reached the front of the line and it was time to register. Brendan was first, registering with his Staryu. Then Nick with Ghastly and Samurai with Paras. Finally Ebony registered, not revealing her pokemon to anyone except the judges stating that it was a secret.

The four then went down to the docks and sat in their assigned boats, waiting for the event to begin. After 30 minutes, an elderly man grabbed a mike and began speaking. "Hello, my name is Skipper. Now some may be wondering if I'm the Skipper, the legendary fisherman. Yes I am, and when I was your age I started my career by joining this derby. I wish everyone good luck. In exactly one minute the derby will begin."

Skipper then walked off the stage to applauds of everyone present. One minute passed and an air horn blew, signaling the start of the event. Everyone headed off in their own separate directions. Samurai was the first of the four to get his boat away from the dock. He noticed a secluded area with in the forest that had a waterfall and thought it was the perfect location. "This is a perfect spot, don't you agree Paras?"

"Pa, par." The pokemon claimed, jumping from excitement. Immediately there was a bite on their line.

"That's our luck. We first win the Saffron City Battle Tournament and now we'll catch an amazing pokemon." He said while lifting his rod to reveal a rather large Magikarp. "Do you see the size of this one. Its huge, there's no way we can't win with it." He said while tossing one of the derby balls. It looked different than a normal pokeball, as the top was blue with a design to look like waves were on. It then had a miniature rod on the waves. The derby ball was knocked away by the Magikarp. "Did you see it's strength, we have to catch it now. Paras, use stun spore." Paras shaked it's mushrooms as a powdery substance surrounded Magikarp. Samurai then tossed a derby ball, catching the Magikarp. "Alright, Paras let's head back." The duo then headed back to the registration desk.

Elsewhere Nick and Ghastly were heading off in a separate direction, he had been keeping track of the time. He figured if he went out 30 minutes, fished for one hour and then head back in with the last 30 minutes he would be fine. After about 20 minutes he reached a clear opening with an endless view of the ocean. He figured it was far enough. He cast out his rod and watched, waiting for a bite. He had been sitting for about 15 minutes when he noticed a few more boats coming his way. "I hope that they just keep going, don't you Ghastly?"

"Ghas." The ghost type said, while flying circles around Nick.

The boats kept heading further away, just as Nick hoped that they would. He then noticed that one boat was still in the area. The person wasn't paying attention and cast their line right on top of Nick's. "Hey! Watch where you're casting." Nick yelled to the trainer.

The person in the other boat turned around, revealing it to be Ebony. "Hi Nick. Did you see my amazing Magneton?" She asked pointing to the magnet like pokemon.

"No I didn't. I was too busy watching my line, which you cast right over mine." Nick yelled

"Its no big deal. I'll be gone in a minute. Just then her line had a bite. "See, I've been following this one the whole time." She said as she reeled in a Seel. "Magneton, use thunder wave." Magneton shot out electrical waves which engulfed the water type. "Now, use electro ball." Magneton charged up a sphere of electrical energy and launched it at seal. She then tossed a derby ball, catching the pokemon. "Bye Nick, hopefully you can catch something now that I'm done sabotaging you." She yelled as she left.

"I knew it! She did that on purpose." Nick yelled, losing sight of his rod for a minute. While he was venting his frustration, he didn't notice his own line had a bite.

"Gha, ghas." Ghastly cried, getting in Nick's face. Ghastly saw the bite and wanted Nick's attention.

"Ghastly, not now, can't you see I'm letting my anger out." He said as he noticed the rod. "We have a bite, quick Ghastly." They reeled in the pokemon, revealing it to be a Shellder. The Shellder tried jumping off the line. "Oh no, Ghastly use mean look." Ghastly's eyes glowed bright red, and it looked like they were enlarged as well. "Now it can't escape. Good job. Now use night shade." The ghost type fired a black beam from it's eyes, hitting the pokemon directly. Nick then threw a derby ball catching the pokemon. "Great job Ghastly, let's get back." The duo started heading back, leaving only one of the four friends left out there.

On the opposite side of the competition was Brendan and his Staryu. "Staryu, we've struck out in every spot so far. Our original spots were too crowded, and our last few we've had no bites. There's only 45 minutes left and we have nothing." He said while sighing. He cast his rod out one more time, considering on giving up. Just then, he had a bite, a big bite. He cast it in, revealing a Poliwhirl. The pokemon jumped off the line and started swimming. "Staryu, jump in and follow it. We can't let it get away."

Staryu jumped into the water and was right behind the Poliwhirl, even knocking it up into the air. "Alright, great job Staryu. Now, use bubblebeam." The trail of bubbles shot from Staryu's tip and flowed right into Poliwhirl, keeping him airborne. "Now, finish it with rapid spin." Staryu began spinning extremely fast, fast enough to create a mini twister and collided with the Poliwhirl in mid air. "Okay, now's my chance." He said, as he tossed the derby ball. He watched as it shaked back and forth until it stopped, revealing that Poliwhirl was caught. Brendan then looked at the time, seeing that they had 20 minutes they rushed back to the judging.

Back at the dock the last of the trainers were returning. Nick managed to find Samurai and Ebony who were standing together. "Have either of you seen Brendan?"

"I haven't seen him since it started." Ebony replied.

"I thought he was with you." Was Samurai's response.

They then heard Skipper speaking from his mike again. "If everyone could please line up in a single file line, it would be greatly appreciated. As always, you are allowed to keep the pokemon you caught today. However, if you wish to return it to the wild, feel free to do so. We will judge everyone on a scale of 1 to 10. The person with the highest score wins. The three trainers got in line, wondering where Brendan was. They were about halfway when they lined up, so that way they could watch for Brendan.

After a while they reached the front of the line. Samurai volunteered to go first. "This beauty will blow your minds away thanks to it's amazing qualities." He said as he put Magikarp into the tank. The judges weren't impressed, this was the fourth one today. They awarded him a 4.

Next up was Ebony, who cried that her Seel's cuteness alone would win her the derby. Unfortunately the judges were older men, all who didn't care for cuteness. In the end she scored a 6.

Last was Nick. He showed his Shellder to the judges, who were surprised that one was found in the derby. They awarded Nick a 7, putting him in second for the derby. They watched as the remaining entrants all had their pokemon judged. Then, when it seemed like Brendan wasn't coming, he made it as the very last person. He ran up to the judges holding his derby ball in one hand and Staryu in the other. By the time he reached the table he was out of breath.

He handed his derby ball over to the judges who were surprised to see a Poliwhirl inside. They had never seen one in areas most entrants fished in. They realized that this boy went deeper in and awarded him an 8. Brendan was happy, unfortunately one trainer scored a 9 for catching a Gyarados. Brendan didn't change his emotions, he was excited that he finished second out of all these people.

After the derby was closed up for another six months, the group sat down and talked about the pokemon they caught. Samurai had released his Magikarp. What he thought was an enlarged one was just a normal sized one. Both Ebony and Brendan kept their's with them. Nick on the other hand kept his, but sent it over to Professor Oak's lab. After saying goodbye to Brendan, the group continued down route 12 on their way to Fuchsia City.

* * *

 **Team:**

 **Nick- 3 badges:**

 **Eevee- swift, quick attack, dig, shadow ball**

 **Beedrill- twinneedle, poison sting, fury attack, hyper beam**

 **Krabby- water gun, bubble, stomp, vicegrip**

 **Charmelon- flamethrower, ember, dragon rage, metal claw**

 **Ghastly- night shade, mean look**

 **At Oak's:**

 **Shellder-**

* * *

 **Samurai:**

 **Pinsir- x-scissor, revenge, bulldoze, harden**

 **Butterfree- aerial ace, sleep powder**

 **Paras- energy ball, stun spore, fury cutter, slash**

* * *

 **Ebony- ? badges:**

 **Charmelon- fire spin**

 **Meowth- thunderbolt, fury swipes**

 **Magneton- electro ball, thunder wave**

 **Seel-**


	17. Picnic Panic

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Pokemon**

Character thoughts are italicized

* * *

After taking part in the fishing derby, the group had decided to take a rest and to relax at a picnic area on route 13. The picnic area had the forest to their back, and a gorgeous lake in front of them. The trainers were enjoying the area and decided to bring all of their pokemon out, so that they could enjoy this as well. Nick was the first to toss his five pokeballs into the air. Out came Eevee, Beedrill, Krabby, Charmelon and Ghastly. Everyone was surprised about Ghastly being there. "Hey, this is Ghastly. Ghastly is going to be traveling with us from now on. Okay?" Nick asked, introducing Ghastly to the rest of the team.

Next was Ebony who threw out four pokeballs and out came her Charmelon, Meowth, Magneton and Seel. Lastly Samurai called out his three pokemon. He tossed the pokeballs into the air, and out came Pinsir, Butterfree, and Paras. "Now that everyone's out, you guys can go play." Samurai said to the groups' pokemon. They immediately all ran off in different areas, even Nick decided to chase after them. After a while, they were all spread out. Nick, Krabby, Seel and Pinsir were in the water playing. Ebony, Eevee, Meowth and to her annoyance Ghastly were laying in the grass. Samurai was with Paras, Beedrill and Magneton were looking over the map.

As everyone was relaxing they weren't paying attention to Nick's Charmelon, who was trying to prove he was the stronger of the two Charmelon. In doing so, he launched a dragon rage into the sky. No one saw where it landed, but it hit a herd of fighting type pokemon that were rumored to be living nearby. The pokemon in the herd were a Primape, two Machoke and their leader a Machamp. The attack ended up hitting the Machamp who became enraged. He demanded that the other fighting types get revenge for him.

The group was now starting to tire down a little bit and figured now would be good for the lunch they bought at the store. They were planning on making something themselves, but they ended up burning it by accident. Upon seeing the sandwiches Ebony remarked, "The next Pokemon Center we reach, I'm teaching you two how not to burn food."

As Samurai passed the food around they heard a noise coming from the woods. Just then, the fighting types jumped out of the woods, having found some people and assuming it was them who attacked and charged towards the group. Without thinking, the group all ran in different directions so they could escape the attack. "Hey, is everyone okay?" Samurai asked, but when he looked up the only ones with him were Paras, Beedrill and Magneton. "How did we get separated?" He asked himself before pulling out the campground's map. "If we go this way, we should be able to get back to camp." He said while walking. The three pokemon with him decided it was best to follow him.

Nick had finally outran the enraged Machamp that was chasing him. When he turned around, he noticed everyone was gone except for Krabby, Seel and Pinsir. "I guess we're lost guys." Nick told them, with no enthusiasm in his voice. Nick then spotted a river. "Hey! I read somewhere that you can follow a river if you get lost." He told the others as he followed the river.

Elsewhere The two Charmelon and Butterfree were walking aimlessly, as they had no clue where they were. They began to slow down, believing that they lost the fighting types, only to be proven wrong when a Machoke from before jumped from the bushes and attacked them. The two Charmelon began arguing over who would fight, while Butterfree watched them argue. Eventually Butterfree had enough, so it used sleep powder on the Machoke. After the fighting type fell asleep, Butterfree led the way back to the picnic area as it had memorized the path that they had ran down. When they reached the area, they realized that they were the only ones there and decided to wait for the others.

After what seemed like forever, Ebony finished running from the pursuing fighting types. When she turned around and saw that only Eevee, Meowth and Ghastly followed her, she let out a sigh of disappointment. That's when she realized she was stuck with Ghastly. Ebony immediately moved away from the ghost and fell to the ground from fear. "Out of everyone I get stuck with, it had to be the ghost!" She yelled in frustration. Just then, the Primape from before jumped from the woods and cornered the small group. Meowth and Eevee tried to stop the rampaging pokemon, only to quickly be defeated. This left only Ghastly to protect Ebony. Primape charged towards Ebony, only to be hit by Ghastly's night shade. Ebony was surprised to see Ghastly help her, especially after everything she had about ghost types.

This enraged the fighting type pokemon who changed direction and charged towards Ghastly. It attempted to attack the ghost, only to have all it's attacks fail. Ghastly merely laughed at the struggling pokemon. Instead of allowing the pokemon to continue struggling, Ghastly decided to end it. Ghastly shot red rings from it's eyes, a hypnosis attack. Primape became drowsy and eventually passed out.

Ebony ran over to the ghost pokemon immediately after. "Ghastly, you saved us. Thank you. Even though I said those things about ghost types, you still helped. I'm sorry for everything I've said." Ghastly just stared at the trainer, not really understanding as it never paid attention to the insults. Ebony continued "I think you deserve to know why I'm afraid of ghost types. You see, when I was little, my parents brought to one of those haunted houses that families put together for the neighborhood. When I entered the house, I was having fun. I really enjoyed it. But then the people running the house decided to use their ghost type pokemon. One of the pokemon, a Haunter, pulled me through the wall. It brought me into i dark room, where I was the only one. Then when I wasn't expecting it, the very same Haunter jumped out of the wall scaring me. Since then I've been afraid of all ghost pokemon, never trying to get close to any of them. Now, thanks to you, I've learned not all ghost types are bad. If its okay with you, could we maybe start over and try to be friends?" She asked.

Once again Ghastly just stared, it had always assumed they were friends. Regardless, he agreed to this. Ghastly then started off in its own direction with the others behind the ghost, Ghastly was leading them back to the picnic area. When they returned to the picnic area they found Butterfree and the two Charmelon just sitting around waiting for everyone else to return. The new group decided to join them, sitting next to them on the bench.

Back in the woods Samurai was leading the way, but he wasn't paying attention to his surroundings. He was heading in the right direction, but he was also walking into everything. "I swear, if I walk into one more tree.." he began, but was interrupted when he collided with a tree. "How much further is the picnic area?" He asked in disgust. The group continued walking until they eventually found a clearing. "Hey, this path is familiar. If we follow this path we should be back in about 5 minutes." He said, restoring hope into the pokemon. Just then, one of the Machoke jumped out from the woods. Knowing that they couldn't beat it right now, Samurai thought fast. "Paras use stun spore. Magneton if you have anything useful please help." Paras launched it's stun spore attack while Magneton used thunder wave. The two attacks immobilized the pokemon and with that the group ran away.

After a few more minutes Samurai's group reached the picnic area and was surprised to see everyone except Nick, Pinsir, Krabby, and Seel. "Have any of you seen the others?" He asked the others.

"No, I was hoping he was with you." Ebony replied. Samurai's group then joined the others as they sat around waiting for the others.

Back by the river Nick and the others were walking alongside it. "You know, we've been walking in this direction for over 30 minutes. It could be possible we picked the wrong direction." Nick said embarrassed. The pokemon only stared at him with a look of disbelief. "We should try the other direction now." He said as the group turned around. Seel and Krabby had been swimming the whole time so they weren't that tired. Nick and Pinsir were growing tired though. The group continued walking for another 20 minutes before taking a rest. As they sat there, they heard a rustling in the woods and thought it might be the others.

When they went to check, they were surprised to find that it was the Machamp from before. Once the Machamp saw the group he chased them until they couldn't run any longer. Nick decided that they would have to fight as they couldn't out run the pokemon. Unfortunately, Pinsir was too tired to fight and Nick didn't know if Seel would listen to him. "Krabby, its up to us. Ready? Use water gun." Krabby shot the stream of water, but Machamp cut right through it with a karate chop attack. The attack continued to come right at Krabby, not slowing down at. "Krabby, catch it with vicegrip." Krabby tried to catch the arm, but it broke free and hit the water type.

Krabby went flying backwards, but got right up. Krabby charged right towards the fighting type. Machamp began using a cross chop attack as his top two hands sliced towards Krabby, the water type managed to counter it.

"Krabby, you learned crabhammer." Nick said in amazement. He didn't realize it at first, but once he saw Krabby holding back the attack easily he realized what was happening. Krabby used it's two claws to hold back the two hands. It seemed like both sides were even, but Machamp was toying with Krabby. Once it grew bored of this it sliced it's lower two hands down on Krabby, knocking it into the dirt. Krabby laid there, trying to get up but being too fatigued to move. Machamp grabbed the water type and threw it into a nearby tree.

Machamp laughed as he watched the crab pokemon struggle to stand up. Machamp then raised it's arms as stones appeared all around it. Nick knew this move all too well. _Stone edge._ He thought to himself. All he could do was watch as the Machamp launched the stones at Krabby. Before the stones could reach Krabby, a gust of wind blew and standing before Krabby was a Hitmonchan. The punching pokemon immediately used mach punch, knocking every stone out of the air. He then stared down Machamp, who knowing it was time to retreat, ran into the woods. Hitmonchan then chased after the other fighting type, leaving Nick and the others behind.

After resting for a while, Nick's group continued walking and found the picnic area with everyone already there. The group unfolded their lunch and ate up. During the whole meal, Nick was too busy thinking of the Hitmonchan from earlier. Nick finished his lunch and stood up, surprising Samurai and Ebony. He quickly recalled his pokemon and headed back into the woods.

"Nick, where are you going? We just all regrouped, shouldn't we stick together!" Samurai yelled out to his friend.

"Ya, Nick what are you thinking Fuchsia City is right down the road. We might be able to make it by nightfall!" Ebony chimed in.

Nick turned around quickly and yelled back "Go on ahead, I'll meet you at the pokemon center. There's something I need to do." With that he was gone, already into the woods.

* * *

 **Team:**

 **Nick- 3 badges:**

 **Eevee- swift, quick attack, dig, shadow ball**

 **Beedrill- poison sting, fury attack, twinneedle, hyper beam**

 **Krabby- water gun, crabhammer, stomp, vicegrip**

 **Charmelon- flamethrower, ember, dragon rage, metal claw**

 **Ghastly- night shade, mean look, hypnosis**

 **At Oak's:**

 **Shellder**

* * *

 **Samurai:**

 **Pinsir- x-scissor, bulldoze, harden, revenge**

 **Butterfree- aerial ace, sleep powder**

 **Paras- energy ball, stun spore, fury cutter, slash**

* * *

 **Ebony- ? Badges:**

 **Charmelon- fire spin**

 **Meowth- thunderbolt, fury swipes**

 **Magneton- electro ball, thunder wave**

 **Seel**


	18. Fight in the Forest

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Pokemon.**

Character thoughts are italicized

* * *

"I'll meet you guys at the Pokemon Center. I have something that I need to do first!" Nick yelled back to his friends as he ran into the woods.

"What do you think that was about?" Samurai asked in confusion

"Who knows." Ebony replied. "No reason to wait around here. Let's get going." She said as she packed up everything. "This way I can try and teach you how to cook. That way, next time its your turn to cook you won't burn it."

"There's no reason to teach me. I can cook pretty well."

"It seemed more like over well done. The food was too burnt to eat." Ebony teased. The duo then walked back down the trail as they continued to Fuchsia City.

Elsewhere in the woods a Hitmonchan was on the trail of a Machamp. The two pokemon had a rivalry going as Machamp would often bully the weaker pokemon in the woods alongside his friends, while Hitmonchan fought to protect them. Machamp ran further and further into the woods, hoping to lead Hitmonchan into a trap. The punching pokemon was following Machamp exactly wherever the other fighting type went. Eventually the two pokemon reached a clearing with the forest behind them and only the edge of a cliff ahead of them.

The two pokemon took their stances, ready to end this once and for all. Hitmonchan charged in first, but was unable to strike Machamp as he was being held back. Hitmonchan looked to his left and right to see that the two Machoke and the Primape who followed Machamp were restraining him. Machamp just grinned as he wound up a punch. He then striked Hitmonchan in it's chest four times, one for each of Machamp's arms.

Nick was running through the forest now, following the sounds of someone in pain. Nick entered the clearing to find Hitmonchan being held back as he was being hit by Machamp. Nick quickly reached for his pokeballs. "Krabby use water gun. Ghastly use night shade. Eevee use swift." He yelled as he tossed the three pokeballs. The pokemon appeared, launching their respective attacks. The three attacks hit Machamp's friends, causing them to lose their grip on Hitmonchan.

Hitmonchan was able to dodge the next attack as he jumped backwards and stood next to Nick's group. "We'll handle these guys. You take care of the Machamp." Nick told the fighting type, who nodded his head in agreement. Hitmonchan rushed towards Machamp, fists ready to strike it. Once again, the other fighting types tried to interfere. This time Nick was ready to step in and stop them. "Eevee swift, Ghastly night shade." Nick yelled as the two pokemon launched their attacks, keeping the others from stopping Hitmonchan.

Hitmonchan managed to land a punch right on Machamp's face, causing it to take a couple steps back. The two pokemon traded punches back and forth amongst each other. Neither side was backing down, both wanting to win. By now, the other fighting types had ran away, having been overwhelmed by Eevee, Ghastly, and Krabby. Now Nick and his pokemon watched the fight between the two pokemon, knowing not to interfere.

Hitmonchan was gaining the upper hand thanks to his speed. Hitmonchan went in for one final punch, but it never hit. Machamp had jumped backwards to dodge the attack, forgetting about the cliff. Everyone rushed over to the edge to check on Machamp. The other fighting type was holding onto a part of the cliff, keeping himself from falling. Everyone stood there, trying to figure out the safest way to pull him up. Without thinking, Hitmonchan hung himself over the edge trying to grab Machamp. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to reach his rival and came back over the edge.

This gave Nick an idea. "Hitmonchan, try and reach Machamp again. Only this time, my pokemon and myself will hold onto you and pull you up." He told everyone. They agreed on it, seeing how it was the only one they had. Nick called out his Charmelon and Beedrill to help out as well. The order went Hitmonchan, Nick, Beedrill, Krabby, Eevee, Charmelon. The group was now long enough to reach Machamp. Hitmonchan reached down and grabbed onto the two free hands of Machamp, and started pulling him up. Once they saw Hitmonchan had Machamp, the group started pulling up and they eventually had both fighting types back on top of the cliff.

Once he was standing on ground again Machamp went over and thanked Hitmonchan for saving him. Nick could tell from his body language that he was a changed Pokemon now. Nick hoped that Machamp would leave both people and pokemon alone from now on.

Meanwhile, Ebony and Samurai reached Fuchsia City and went straight to the Pokemon Center. Samurai went and reserved two rooms for the three friends. "Well, its getting late. I'm gonna go to bed now. See you in the morning." He said as he tried to walk away.

Ebony wasn't buying it. "Hold on a minute." She said, grabbing Samurai's shirt. "Did you forget about learning how to actually cook, and not burn everything." She then dragged the trainer down into the Center's kitchen.

Back in the forest, the sun was starting to set. Seeing how dark it was becoming, Hitmonchan led Nick, his pokemon, and the Machamp from before to a cave not too far from there. "Is this where you live?" Nick asked. Once again he only received a nod from Hitmonchan. The group spread out amongst themselves in the cave and slept until morning. The next day, Hitmonchan led the group back to the picnic area. Machamp left immediately, looking for his friends. Hitmonchan on the other hand stood there, staring at Nick. Finally it pointed at Nick's pokeballs.

"I understand. You want to come with us, but first you want to prove that I'm worthy to be your trainer." Nick said, waiting for a response. Hitmonchan nodded his head, and got into a fighting stance. Nick reached for a pokeball. "Krabby, I choose you." He said, tossing the pokeball. Krabby appeared, ready to battle. "Use water gun." Krabby launched the attack at Hitmonchan, who easily dodged it.

Hitmonchan then started to punch continuously at Krabby. "Krabby, use crabhammer to counter." Krabby's claws collided time and time again with Hitmonchan's fists. The two pokemon exchanged blows until they were both panting. The whole time, all Nick saw was claw meet fist as the two tried to hit the other.

Hitmonchan then jumped backwards, ready to strike once again. His speed was much faster this time, as his fist flew into Krabby without being seen. Krabby fought back, forcing himself not to move from his spot. The pokemon stood it's ground, then launched a crabhammer that hit Hitmonchan directly. Impressed by Krabby, Hitmonchan dropped his arms and walked over to Nick, signaling that he had seen enough. The punching pokemon then tapped one of the pokeballs that was on Nick's belt. The pokeball shaked back and forth until it stopped moving, signaling that Hitmonchan was caught.

Nick decided to then recall Krabby as he walked down the path and towards Fuchsia City, looking for his friends. When he arrived in the town, Nick immediately went to the Pokemon Center to see if they were there. Nick entered the Pokemon Center only to see Ebony passed out on one of the Center's couches. Nick walked over to her and thought of something funny he could do. He called Krabby from it's pokeball and was about to command it to use water gun when he started having second thoughts. "If I do that, she'll kill me." He whispered to Krabby, who was disappointed. "Sorry Krabby, maybe next time." He said as he recalled Krabby to it's pokeball. He then walked over to Nurse Joy and asked if she could take care of his pokemon for him. He then handed the six pokeballs over to her and walked over to the computer to make a video call.

Elsewhere in the city Samurai was walking around, trying to locate the Safari Zone. He had been told that it was on the outskirts of town. _This might be for the best. I mean, I did get Ebony pretty upset. She spent the whole night trying to teach me to cook properly and I made next to no improvement._ He thought as he laughed about the cooking lessons. He had burnt practically everything. The only things he managed not to burn was grilled cheese and his home made soup. _Well, now that I'm away, hopefully she blows off some steam before I get back._ Just then, he found a fenced in area. He walked up to the gate and read the sign. "Welcome to the Safari Zone. Please ring the buzzer and an attendant will arrive shortly after to bring you to the warden's office. From there, you will be told the rules for the Safari Zone." He read before ringing the buzzer.

Samurai waited a few minutes, before an older gentleman arrived. He was wearing a red vest over a blue dress shirt and was wearing jeans. "The name's Kaiser, I run the Safari Zone." He said, motioning for Samurai to follow. The duo reached Kaiser's office and sat down inside. "The rules are simple, you use special pokeballs given to you. These are called safari balls." The man said, giving Samurai a bucket of green and brown stripped pokeballs. "You get 30 of them, no matter what, you can't use normal pokeballs. No pokemon battles are allowed, and once you are finished you are to come back here to check out. Following the rules will lead to your safety, from the pokemon and from me." Kaiser said as he raised a gun at Samurai. "Understand?"

Samurai was shocked, he didn't know if he was threatening him, or if this was a joke. Whatever it was, he didn't want to find out. "I understand, no need to worry about me." He said nervously as he walked out the door. Once he was in the safari, Samurai looked around. He looked around, seeing the field of lush green grass with trees scattered around the area. He watched as he saw wild pokemon ran around the open plains. Samurai laughed to himself out of pure joy. _I've never seen anything like this._ He thought to himself as he pulled out a list. _Now to find the pokemon Endo asked for._

* * *

 **Team:**

 **Nick- 3 badges:**

 **Eevee- swift, quick attack, dig, shadow ball**

 **Beedrill- poison sting, fury attack, twinneedle, hyper beam**

 **Krabby- water gun, crabhammer, stomp, vicegrip**

 **Charmelon- flamethrower, ember, dragon rage, metal claw**

 **Ghastly- night shade, mean look, hypnosis**

 **At Oak's:**

 **Shellder**

* * *

 **Samurai:**

 **Pinsir- x-scissor, bulldoze, harden, revenge**

 **Butterfree- aerial ace, sleep powder**

 **Paras- energy ball, stun spore, fury cutter, slash**

* * *

 **Ebony- ? Badges:**

 **Charmelon- fire spin**

 **Meowth- thunderbolt, fury swipes**

 **Magneton- electro ball, thunder wave**

 **Seel**


	19. Samurai's Safari Adventure!

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Pokemon**

Character thoughts are italicized

* * *

Samurai stood there, staring at the beauty of the Safari Zone. He watched as a herd of Tauros ran around the open plains. He noticed that different paths led to different areas. Samurai walked towards the closest path and continued down it until he came to a new area. It looked exactly the same ss the last one, only this one had a lake. When Samurai turned to look, he saw a group of Goldeen jumping out of the water.

After walking for a while he looked around to see if any of the pokemon were on the list. Endo's list was pretty simple. He asked for two Paras, a Scyther and a Pinsir. Samurai had asked why he needed multiple pokemon, especially of the ones he already owned.

* * *

Flashback

Samurai was on the phone, calling home to let his brother know that he reached Fuchsia City. The phone continued to ring, with no one answering it from the other end. Just as Samurai was about to hang up, someone answered. "Clear Village gym, Endo speaking."

"Endo, its Samurai, I'm calling to tell you I'm in Fuchsia City. Its late, so I was going to look for the Safari Zone tomorrow."

"Ah, that's great. Now, I've been told that the Safari Zone is on the northern outskirts of the city. When you find it, can you catch two Paras, a Scyther and a Pinsir for me?"

"Well, sure. But you already own a Pinsir and Scyther, why would you want more of them?" Samurai asked his brother, confused by the pokemon he asked for.

"You see, if I have multiples of the same pokemon, they won't have to be in every battle. This way they can get some rest, and the gym can still accept challenges." He finished, as someone yelled down the hall. "Sorry, but I've got a challenger waiting. Thanks for helping me out. Talk to you later." He said as he hung up the phone.

* * *

Samurai saw one of the pokemon on the list, a Paras. The pokemon was sitting under the tree, trying to stay cool. "This will be easy." Samurai whispered as he ran towards the pokemon. Unknown to Samurai, catching pokemon in the Safari Zone was different. The Paras heard Samurai's footsteps and began to run away. Samurai, seeing that the pokemon was trying to escape tossed a safari ball at it. The ball just missed the Paras as the pokemon ran off, further into the Safari. "I messed that one up." He said while sighing. "I guess it will be tougher than I thought."

Samurai continued to walk around the Safari Zone, trying to locate the pokemon his brother needed. As he was walking, he saw someone familiar. When he looked closer, he realized that Kaiser was driving a car in his direction.

"Hey!" Kaiser yelled. "What do you think you're doing? You can't try to catch the pokemon in the Safari like normal wild pokemon. If you do, you'll scare them all away." He said getting out of the car. "Since I'm in a good mood, I'll teach you how to catch Safari pokemon." The duo then climbed into Kaiser's car and drove through the safari.

"Sir, I haven't seen any other workers. Are they all on break or something?" Samurai asked as they drove to their destination.

"Nope, I'm the only one who works here. I own the Safari, and take care of it." He said while laughing. "The sign you read on the way in is there to make you think I have people everywhere. The truth is, I spend most of my day driving around the safari." He said, stopping the car. "We're here. You see that lake? Its the only one for miles in this part of the safari. If there's a pokemon you're looking for, it'll show up eventually." He said, exiting the car. "Now, when you find what you're looking for, approach it slowly. That way you don't scare it. Then when you're feeling comfortable, toss the safari ball."

The duo sat inside the car, waiting for the pokemon to appear. After about 30 minutes, a few pokemon showed up. Samurai checked the scene out. "Rhyhorn, no. Nidorino, no. Pinsir, bingo!" He said, before covering his mouth quickly. Samurai then did as Kaiser told him to. He walked slowly, making sure not to make unnecessary movements. Eventually Samurai reached a location that he felt comfortable from. Samurai then reached into his bucket and pulled out a safari ball. Quietly he tossed the safari ball and watched as it rocked back and forth, eventually coming to a stop. Samurai went over and picked the safari ball up. "One down, three to go." He said as he crossed the Pinsir off of his list. Samurai then walked back over to Kaiser, showing him the caught pokemon.

"Ah, I see you're getting the hang of things. Well, I'll be on my way." He said, before tossing a remote to Samurai. "I forgot to give that to you when you originally left my office. That's a buzzer. I have multiple ones that I distribute to trainers. This way, if you notice anything wrong in the safari, you'll buzz me and I'll head to your location. Not only does it alert me, but it works as a gps incase you get lost. I can track onto your signal from my office." He said, as he drove off.

Samurai then continued to travel the Safari Zone, looking for the pokemon on his list. After wandering around, he managed to catch the two Paras easily. "Okay, all that's left is the Scyther. I think my best location would be that lake from before." Samurai said as he walked in the direction he came from. After a 20 minute walk, Samurai had reached the lake from earlier in the day. He found a shady tree that would be the ideal place to wait. Samurai sat underneath the tree for about 15 minutes, waiting for a Scyther to appear.

After nothing appeared, Samurai was about to give up on this location and head to another. Just as he rose to stand, a Scyther walked up to the lake to drink from it. _Perfect, nows my chance._ He thought as he walked towards the bug type. Samurai was now about 10 feet from the pokemon when he reached for the safari ball. Unfortunately, the Scyther saw Samurai and charged towards him. Samurai, in his shock, tossed the ball at Scyther while he fell backwards. Samurai watched from the ground as the safari ball rocked back and forth. After three shakes, the ball stopped and Samurai realized that he had finished the list.

Samurai walked over to pick up the ball, and placed it in his bag. _My work is done here. Now back to the warden's office._ He thought to himself as he looked around. "Now what way was the office?" He wondered out loud. He then remembered that he had the buzzer that Kaiser had given to him. But, when he reached into his pocket, he found out that the buzzer was broken. "It probably happened when the Scyther lunged at me." He said, while agreeing with himself. Samurai decided to start walking in the direction he felt was most familiar to him. Unknown to him though, he was going in the wrong direction. Samurai continued on his path, feeling confident that he was going the correct way.

As the day continued to pass by, he started losing his confidence and started to admit defeat. He was sitting on the ground nearby a smaller lake. This lake was different, it was surrounded by trees allowing more shade to cover the area. As he sat there resting, he a sound coming from the lake. He decided to check it out, to make sure nothing was wrong. As he approached the lake, he noticed a tree had fallen into the lake and that a Venonat was stuck in it.

Without a second thought, he took off his bag and put his safari balls on the ground as he dove into the water. He swam over to the pokemon, who was stuck in the hole that it made in the tree. Samurai swam as fast as he could, trying to reach the Venonat. He eventually reached the pokemon and helped it escape it's former home which was now ruined. When the duo reached the land, Samurai checked to see if Venonat was alright. He then went to inspect the tree. After looking at the base of the tree, he realized that the tree had been rotting and was unsafe. So when Venonat had climbed back into his home, that added weight was enough to topple the tree over.

"Its good that I could help this Venonat, but who's going to help me?" He said, walking over to his bag. "I'm lost, with no sense of direction and I'm trying to find the warden's office." He said as he put his bag onto his back.

Venonat, overhearing the situation, started to push Samurai in a certain direction.

"Huh, what's the matter Venonat?" Samurai asked as he watched the bug type try and push him in a certain direction. That's when it hit him. "That's right, Venonat have incredible eyesight. They can see stuff from far away. You must be seeing the office." Samurai said as he followed Venonat. The duo ran across the Safari, trying to reach the warden's office as soon as possible. After running for 30 minutes they could see the building off in the distance. "Thank you for helping me Venonat. Now, go back to the Safari. You belong here." Samurai said, pointing into the Safari. Venonat wouldn't budge, in fact, the bug type knocked the bucket of safari balls out of Samurai's hand causing them to scatter on the ground. While Samurai tried picking them up, one rolled to Venonat. The bug type pokemon happily poked it with one of it's antenna and went into the safari ball, allowing itself to be caught.

Samurai saw this action and was surprised. He decided that it was for the best and picked up the ball containing Venonat and placed it in his bag. Samurai then went into the office and returned the unused safari balls. After placing the bucket onto the table, Samurai reached into his pocket and pulled out the broken buzzer, explaining everything that occurred to him.

Kaiser just laughed, placing the broken device in a drawer. "I'm not worried about these breaking. You see, if they break it sends out an emergency signal which I receive at closing hours. I know what you're thinking, why so long, the answer is that the technology I use is outdated. Now, I hoped you enjoyed your trip to the Safari Zone." He said, opening the door for Samurai.

Samurai then walked back through Fuchsia City, heading straight for the Pokemon Center. It took Samurai about 30 minutes to reach the Center, as he was exhausted from his adventures in the Safari Zone. Once he entered the Pokemon Center, all he could smell was burnt food. Then voices filled the Center.

"How can you be a boy genius, but not be able to cook simple foods!" One person yelled.

"It isn't my fault, I've never learned how to. So if that's the case, you're at fault as much as I am for being a bad teacher!" A second voice yelled.

"What was that! You're lucky I'm wasting my time helping. Even Samurai started to understand how to cook basic things by this point." The first voice yelled. He then heard a loud noise and a pot hitting the floor.

"Ow, why did you throw that at me!" The second voice cried.

Samurai laughed, he knew that Ebony must be trying to teach Nick how to cook. He then walked over to a video phone, so he could transfer the pokemon to the gym.

Samurai called home, and his brother picked up immediately. "Samurai, how's it going, how was your time in the Safari Zone?" Endo asked his brother.

"It went well, I have the pokemon for the gym right here." He said lifting his bag up. "I'm going to transfer them over right now." He said, as he started up the transfer device. One after another the pokeballs were sent to Endo.

"Thanks Samurai, this will make it much easier on the pokemon I currently have." Endo said. There was then a silence between them until Endo spoke up. "Samurai, I was wondering, do you mind leaving Butterfree at the gym for a short time?"

"But why Endo? Don't you have enough pokemon by now?"

"I do, its just I think Butterfree would be able to help me out. I recently evolved a Metapod, but its afraid of flying. I figured if I had a Butterfree teach it to fly, it might get over it's fear."

Samurai couldn't argue with that. As much as it hurt him to send one of his pokemon home, he knew it was for the best. "Fine, just take good care of it. My Butterfree is special. I always let it outside at least twice a day for a half an hour each time for exercise. I then have it work on it's speed by flying through obstacle courses, trying to break it's previous best. You better do the same." Samurai then placed the pokeball onto the transfer device. He watched as the ball disappeared on his end, and reappeared on his brother's end.

"Butterfree reached me safe and sound. I promise I'll take exceptional care of it. I've got to get going, I'll talk to you later." Endo said as he ended the call.

Samurai walked down the hall and looked into the kitchen. Just as he looked in, a cloud of black smoke filled the room. "What are you two doing, trying to kill everyone?" Samurai asked his friends.

Nick was the first to answer. "Hey, you're back. Where have you been? I've been stuck here being taught how to cook." He said before leaning close to Samurai. "But between you and me, Ebony is a horrible teacher." Nick then felt something hit his head. He turned around and saw Ebony throw another pot at him.

"You think I couldn't hear you? I'll show you a bad teacher!" Ebony said as she hit Nick.

"What! No, you misheard me. I was only kidding when I said that." Nick said, trying to get out of this.

"Well, you two have fun. I'm going to lay down, I'm real tired after spending the whole day in the Safari Zone." He said as he walked away.

That caught Nick's attention. "Wait! You went to the Safari Zone without me!" He yelled, dodging a pot, only to be hit by another pot.

* * *

 **Team:**

 **Nick- 3 badges:**

 **Eevee- swift, quick attack, dig, shadow ball**

 **Beedrill- poison sting, fury attack, twinneedle, hyper beam**

 **Krabby- water gun, crabhammer, stomp, vicegrip**

 **Charmelon- flamethrower, ember, dragon rage, metal claw**

 **Ghastly- night shade, mean look, hypnosis**

 **Hitmonchan- mach punch, agility, comet punch**

 **At Oak's:**

 **Shellder**

* * *

 **Samurai:**

 **Pinsir- x-scissor, bulldoze, harden, revenge**

 **Venonat- supersonic, tackle, foresight**

 **Paras- energy ball, stun spore, fury cutter, slash**

 **At home:**

 **Butterfree- aerial ace, sleep powder**

* * *

 **Ebony- ? Badges:**

 **Charmelon- fire spin**

 **Meowth- thunderbolt, fury swipes**

 **Magneton- electro ball, thunder wave**

 **Seel**


	20. A Past Memory

Disclaimer: **I do not own anything related to Pokemon**

Character thoughts are italicized

* * *

It was early in the morning as the group began the trek over to the Fuchsia City gym. Today, Nick planned on challenging the gym leader today, and wanted to do it as soon as possible.

"So Nick, have you decided on what pokemon you're going to use?" Samurai asked

"Ya, you might be surprised by some of my choices." Nick said, knowing how his friends haven't seen Hitmonchan yet.

"What do you mean by surprised? Just tell us which ones you're using!" Ebony yelled.

"I'm sorry, but you're just going to have to wait just like everyone else." Nick said, teasingly. He was just in a mood to upset her after she made him waste yesterday practicing his cooking. He waited for a response, but before she could say anything the group had walked up to a large compound.

"This place looks just like the buildings in my home village." Samurai said, inspecting the building. "Whoever built this did an excellent job."

The group then walked up to the front door, seeing a sign that read Fuchsia City Gym. "Alright, looks like I'll have my match right here." He said as he knocked on the door.

Time passed as the group waited for someone to answer the door. After a while, Samurai was getting annoyed. "Who runs a gym, and doesn't have anyone to open the door." He said, he was going to continue on, when the door began moving.

On the other side, a young girl the same age as the three friends opened the door. She was wearing a black training gi and had a purple belt and a scarf which was also purple. Her hair was purple, and tied off in the back so that it couldn't get in her face. To Samurai, the person looked familiar. He could feel himself staring, unable to look away. He then felt a light blush start to form, and forced himself to look away.

"Hello." The girl spoke. "My name's Janine, I'm sorry that you had to wait so long. You see, my father and aunt are out. They went down into the town to buy groceries for our house." She said pointing to the gym. "I was taking care of the gym's pokemon when I heard someone knock, so I rushed over here as fast as I could."

The group then introduced themselves. "Hi, I'm Nick. I've traveled all the way from Pallet Town. I'm trying to enter the Pokemon league this year."

"I'm Ebony. I'm also from Pallet Town and entering the league this year."

"I'm Clear and I'm from Samurai Village." He said, immediately realizing his mistake. "I mean, I'm Samurai and I'm from Clear Village." His light blush returned, out of his embarrassment from getting his name wrong.

"So, you're all pokemon trainers. That explains why you're at the gym, but who's the one battling?" Janine asked.

"Well, you see, I was hoping to be able to challenge your father to a battle. But since he isn't here, we could help you take care of the pokemon if you want." Nick asked.

"You would! If you don't mind that is." She said, quickly fixing her manners. "There are a lot of pokemon in the gym, sometimes it takes a whole day to take care of them." She said, leading them into the building.

Elsewhere on the rocky cliff overlooking the gym two figures stood. One male, one female. Both wore the same outfit, a black shirt with a red R and black pants. "Did you hear that Butch? The gym is loaded with a lot of pokemon." The female said. She had golden orange hair that was tied to have two long pigtails.

"Ya, a lot of pokemon will make us look good for the boss." Butch said. He was the same height as his partner, and had green hair that was flat and rounded in the back, but the front was jagged and in the shape of an M. "How do you think he'll reward us Cassidy?"

Cassidy didn't answer, she only hit Butch over the back of the head. "We won't be getting any reward. We lost a lot of pokemon and money when our fake breeding center plan got ruined. This one operation won't be enough to be on the boss's good side." She said smirking. "But, it will be a good start. Everyone knows that gym pokemon are extremely well trained." The duo watched as the group of four walked into the building, waiting for their time to strike.

The group of four walked into the house, following behind Janine. Nick, in all his excitement grew impatient. Seeing a hallway with pokemon down it he sprinted towards them, only to run into a wall. "Oh, I forgot. Not only are we pokemon trainers, but we are also training to become ninja. Our house is filled with different kinds of traps to help confuse our enemies. Please, be careful, only my father, aunt and myself know how to navigate around the traps." Janine explained.

"Sure." Was all Nick could say, as he was rubbing his head after the collision.

The whole time they followed Janine, Samurai couldn't keep his mind off of her. _I've seen her before somewhere, but where? She seems so familiar._ He thought to himself.

Unbeknownst to him, Ebony was right beside him and saw that he hadn't taken his eye off of Janine since they arrived. She decided that now would be a good time to mess with him. "So, it seems like someone has something going on with a gym leader's daughter." She whispered quietly to Samurai.

Samurai immediately had a deep blush on his face. "Wh-what. Don't be silly. It isn't like that. She just seems familiar and I'm trying to remember where I've seen her." He answered nervously.

"Really? I would never have thought that. I mean, you can't even take your eyes off of her. Besides, the calm Samurai we know hasn't been around since she opened the door. Its almost like she makes you nervous." Ebony added. She was having too much fun. Even if Samurai wouldn't admit it, she knew that he liked Janine by the way he was acting.

"No!" He said back. Even he realized how ridiculous it sounded. He was the one who usually had a comeback, but since they arrived he hadn't been able to think straight.

The group turned around a corner and were now in an open field. This was their backyard. "This is it. I usually let the pokemon roam around the backyard during the day. Today, I had to put them all back in their pokeballs when I left to get the door." She explained. "Why don't you let your pokemon out, I usually let mine out so they can get some exercise as well.. That way they can play with the others." She said as she tossed three pokeballs into the air. Out of them appeared a Zubat, a Grimer and a Venonat.

Nick was the first to let his pokemon out. He tossed six pokeballs, and out appeared Eevee, Beedrill, Krabby, Charmelon, Ghastly and Hitmonchan. Both Ebony and Samurai were surprised to see a Hitmonchan with Nick.

"So, was this the 'thing you had to take care of'. You know, when you ran off into the woods after we had all found each other." Ebony asked in a teasing voice. Nick merely scratched the back of his head. That was all she needed to know. "Okay, everyone out." Four pokeballs were thrown into the air, and out came Charmelon, Meowth, Magneton and Seel.

Finally it was Samurai's turn. He tossed three pokeballs and out came his Pinsir, Paras and his newest team member Venonat.

Nick was shocked, wondering where Butterfree was. "Samurai, I'm going to say you caught Venonat at the Safari Zone, but where's Butterfree?"

"Butterfree is back home. My brother wanted to use him for the gym." Samurai remarked. This caught Janine's attention. She decided to keep it to herself for now.

"So, you guys have some interesting pokemon. I'll be right back. I have to go get the pokeballs from the room we store them in." She said, beginning to walk away before stopping. She turned to Samurai and spoke. "Do you mind helping me? It will be much easier with two people." She then started walking towards the house. Samurai followed her and could swear he heard Ebony laughing.

The two trainers walked down a few hallways before coming to a locked door. Janine unlocked the door and opened, revealing rows of pokeballs. "You know Samurai, you seem kind of familiar. For some reason I keep thinking I've seen you somewhere." Janine told him as she handed him the pokeballs.

Samurai didn't know what to say, he stood there silent for a few moments before speaking. "Oh no, you must have me confused with someone else. I've never come to Fuchsia City before." He said, then added a nervous chuckle after.

Janine let out a soft sigh. _Maybe I am confusing him with someone else._ Janine thought to herself. She then grabbed the last of the pokeballs and showed Samurai the correct path back outside. The two walked out into the backyard and let the pokemon out of their pokeballs. Out came multiple Grimer, Koffing, Venonat and a few Golbat. Also amongst the gym pokemon was a Gloom, a few Beedrill and a Weepinbell.

All the pokemon began playing amongst themselves. Samurai was watching the group of Venonat and Beedrill. As he was watching, Janine walked over to him and sat down next to him. "I see you really enjoy bug types." Janine said.

"Ya, you see, I want to become a great bug type trainer. One who spread awareness of how amazing they can be." He told Janine.

Janine sat there listening to Samurai talk about his love of bug types. "Well, at least to me, you seem to be doing a great job."

Samurai blushed a little from the compliment. "Well, I can tell that even for a poison type gym, you've raised the few bug types here well. Those Beedrill all have amazing speed, and from what I've seen from the Venonat they all look healthy. You can tell a healthy Venonat by it's eyes. They all seem properly raised." He said, complementing the trainer. His blush grew a little darker after he realized what he said.

 _He really reminds me of that boy I met before. But he said he's never met me, so it couldn't be him._ Janine thought to herself. She then answered Samurai. "Well, I'm not the only one who raises them. I mean, I do spend the most time, but, my father is a big help. He taught me everything I know." She said, starting to blush herself from the compliment.

Elsewhere, Ebony dragged Nick back into the house. "Hey, what's your problem!" Nick yelled. "Let me go outside, I just want to play with the pokemon."

Ebony was blocking the only way outside. "No! Let those two have some time alone."

Nick was confused by this. "Why, I'm not bothering them and all they're doing is talking. I don't see what the problem would be."

"You'll learn when you're older." She said, sighing at Nick's denseness.

Just then an explosion was heard down the hall. Nick and everyone else recalled all the pokemon and raced to the sound. "That came from one of the rooms we installed a trap in. Father told me people try to break in, but I've never been here when its happened." Janine said.

The group reached the room in a short amount of time, but were unable to see anything due to the smoke that filled the room. The smoke flew out and before everyone stood two people dressed in all black and with a red R on their shirts.

* * *

 **A/N: I know Janine is only shown in the pokemon adventures manga and is a little older, but she never appeared in the anime so this is a younger version.**

 **Team:**

 **Nick- 3 badges:**

 **Eevee- swift, quick attack, dig, shadow ball**

 **Beedrill- poison sting, fury attack, twinneedle, hyper beam**

 **Krabby- water gun, crabhammer, stomp, vicegrip**

 **Charmelon- flamethrower, ember, dragon rage, metal claw**

 **Ghastly- night shade, mean look, hypnosis**

 **Hitmonchan- mach punch, agility, comet punch**

 **At Oak's:**

 **Shellder**

* * *

 **Samurai:**

 **Pinsir- x-scissor, bulldoze, harden, revenge**

 **Venonat- supersonic, tackle, foresight**

 **Paras- energy ball, stun spore, fury cutter, slash**

 **At home:**

 **Butterfree- aerial ace, sleep powder**

* * *

 **Ebony- ? Badges:**

 **Charmelon- fire spin**

 **Meowth- thunderbolt, fury swipes**

 **Magneton- electro ball, thunder wave**

 **Seel**


	21. Ninja and Samurai: A Fearsome Duo

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Pokemon.**

Character thoughts are italicize

* * *

The smoke faded away, revealing two strangers standing inside of the building. "Prepare for trouble." Cassidy said.

"And make it double." Butch added.

"To infect the world with devastation."

"To blight all people in every nation."

"To denounce the goodness of truth and love."

"To extend our wrath to the stars above."

"Cassidy."

"And Butch, of course."

"We're Team Rocket, circling Earth all day and night."

"Surrender to us now or you will surely lose the fight." Butch finished. During the whole time the duo spoke, they had switched off every line.

Everyone just watched, confused over what they just witnessed. "Team Rocket?" Nick asked, having never heard of them before. In fact, none of them there had ever heard of this Team Rocket.

"Who exactly are you two anyway?" Ebony asked, even though she couldn't care less about these two.

"We just told you!" Butch yelled. "I'm Butch, she's Cassidy and together we make up one team for the glorious Team Rocket."

Ebony was the one getting upset now. "I understand that! But what exactly is Team Rocket! All we know is that you two are idiots."

"Now, now, no need to be jealous. Not everyone can look as great as us." Cassidy replied.

This set Ebony off. She tried to charge at the duo, only to be restrained by Janine. "Now is not the time. We're at a disadvantage if we rush in." Janine whispered into Ebony's ear.

"Oh, what happened to your feisty attitude. Are you all bark and no bite." Cassidy continued, trying to egg on Ebony.

"I've had enough of you two." Nick said, raising a pokeball. "Why don't we settle this with a battle."

This gained the duo's attention. "Alright, if you win, we'll leave here. But, if we win, we get all of your pokemon." Cassidy stated

Nick didn't know what to say, he didn't want to risk everyone's pokemon. He just stood there, gritting his teeth together.

Before Nick could say anything, Butch cut him off. "Oh, and if you don't agree. We'll just set off all of the Voltorb within this building."

Nick knew he was trapped. He couldn't disagree to the conditions, or else everyone is in danger. "Fine. I accept." He said, raising a pokeball. "Beedrill, I choose you." Nick said, tossing the pokeball in front of him.

"Primape, come out." Butch yelled, tossing the pokeball. "Use thrash." Primape charged towards Beedrill, swinging it's arms at the bug type.

"Beedrill, dodge the attack." Nick yelled, as Beedrill flew up towards the ceiling. To everyone's surprise, Primape jumped after Beedrill and managed to meet Beedrill eye to eye before punching it in the face. Beedrill came crashing down to the floor. "Beedrill, can you continue?" Nick asked his pokemon, Beedrill rose out of the hole it made when it crashed. "Alright, use fury attack." Beedrill charged at Primape, hitting the pokemon continuously, causing it to stay on the defensive. "Now, twinneedle!" Beedrill's two stingers pierced Primape's legs, causing it to fall to it's knees.

"Primape, use dynamic punch." Butch yelled out, but Primape couldn't stand due to it's legs being sore. Unknown to everyone else, Cassidy grabbed a pokeball and held it behind her back as insurance.

"Beedrill, finish this with another twinneedle." Beedrill flew in at lightning speed, piercing Primape on it's chest knocking it out. "Alright, we did it Beedrill." Nick cheered as he ran up to his pokemon.

"I wouldn't get to excited if I were you." Cassidy warned as she tossed the concealed pokeball. "Drowzee, use metronome!" A yellow creature that resembled a Tapir appeared before everyone and immediately started shaking it's arms back and forth, until his fingers began to glow white.

Everyone watched the psychic type, unsure of what to expect. After a while Samurai figured what was going to happen. "Everyone, get down. Quickly." He yelled, pulling Janine to the floor with him as she was closest. Unfortunately, everyone else didn't react as fast and were hit by a strong string like substance that wrapped around their bodies. "I knew it. A powerful string shot, one that is thick enough to immobilize anything." Samurai looked over to his friends, seeing them unable to move an inch due to the string shot wrapping around their bodies.

"Samurai!" Nick yelled, catching his friend's attention. "Don't just stand there, get out of here while you can. You need to escape and think of a strategy to beat them."

Samurai was unsure, he was always taught not to run no matter how bad things were. With the way things were now, Samurai didn't think it could get worse. "But, what about yourself and Ebony. You two can't move at all?"

"Don't worry about us! We're going to be fine. Now get out of here!" Nick demanded.

Samurai was at a loss for words. He was fighting an emotional battle, stay and follow his upbringing or run and fight another day. Janine could see his emotional struggle by the look on his face. Deciding for him, she grabbed his arm and pulled him along with her. "Follow me. I know where all the traps are located. We can use them to our advantage." She said while running. She then smiled before continuing. "Besides, with our combined strength we can't lose."

The two trainers ran down the hall and took a left. Samurai was still running when Janine pulled him behind a spinning door. He was about to speak when Janine motioned for him to stay quite. They then watched as the Team Rocket members ran by them and set off a Voltorb trap. The two thieves were shocked by electricity and Janine couldn't help but laugh.

The laugh gave their location away and caused them to run again. Janine led Samurai down a new hallway, one he hadn't seen yet. She slowed her pace down, making sure she didn't pass what she was looking for. "Stay close to me okay. I know a secret passage." She then grabbed Samurai's hand as she pulled him behind a hidden door. They watched as Cassidy and Butch ran into an invisible wall. "Okay, remember, stay close to me." The two then ran back into the hallway so that the Team Rocket members would follow them.

After running around the building and leading the two Rocket members into several traps, the four were outside in the backyard. "Ha, I guess you ran out of places to run. You're trapped." Butch bragged.

"You two lovebirds thought you could beat us, as if that would happen." Cassidy added.

The 'lovebirds' comment caused the two trainers to both blush. They then looked down and realized that they were still holding each other's hand from when Janine led Samurai through the house. The two trainers let go of their grips on each other and reached for their pokeballs.

"Pinsir, come on out." Samurai said as he tossed his pokeball.

"Venonat, stand by my side." Janine said, tossing her pokeball.

"Don't get your hopes up. Drowzee, come out." Cassidy told the two trainers.

"Cassidy, can I borrow Raticate. Primape still isn't ready to fight." Butch asked, nervous of his partner's answer. To his surprise, she didn't say anything and just handed him the pokeball. "Thanks. Raticate!" He yelled, while tossing the pokeball. "Okay, use quick attack." Raticate sped off like a rocket and went straight for Pinsir.

"Pinsir, take the hit." Samurai told his pokemon.

As Raticate charged across the field, Janine wasn't going to sit around all day and wait. "Venonat, use double team." She called out. Clones of Venonat surrounded the four pokemon, waiting to strike.

"Drowzee, use psybeam, get rid of these annoying clones." Cassidy demanded, having grown tired of this. The pokemon charged up a beam, which it shot at the Venonat.

"Venonat, counter with your psybeam." The Venonat clones all fired the same energy beam attack, cancelling out Drowzee's attack and hitting the pokemon directly.

Just then Raticate rammed into Pinsir, but the bug type acted like he hadn't even been touched. "Pinsir, use revenge." Pinsir's arm glowed as his fist collided with Raticate's body, sending it flying into Drowzee and the rest of Team Rocket. "You can do the honors."

"Venonat, psybeam." Once again the energy beam was launched from Venonat's eyes and collided with the pile of bodies that were Team Rocket. The blast was strong enough that it actually caused Team Rocket to go flying off. "That will show them to break into my house. If my father was here, they wouldn't have stood a chance."

As if on cue, Janine's father and aunt returned home, appearing out of thin air. "Janine, what has happened since I left!? Is everyone alright?" The man asked. He was dressed in the same style as Janine, only with a blue outfit instead.

"Yes father, everyone is alright. Some crooks tired stealing the gym's pokemon, but with the help of my friends we stopped them."

"Koga, that is now twice this league season someone has tried to steal your pokemon." The third ninja said. She was dressed like her two family members, only her outfit was pink.

"Aya, these were two separate incidents and you know it." Koga said to his sister. He then faced Samurai and his daughter. "So, you protected my gym. I must thank you, I must insist you stay the night. We will have a dinner in your honor." Koga told Samurai, showing his gratitude.

Samurai was surprised, but then he remembered his friends. "Thank you sir, but I didn't do it by myself. Janine showed me how to get around the traps, and her Venonat finished them off. Plus, my friends helped out also."

"Friends, I do not see anyone else out here." Koga stated.

Samurai mentally facepalmed himself. He forgot they were still tied up. "Well you see, we were attacked by surprise and they were caught in it. They're currently somewhere in the house."

"I see, then we must find them so I can thank them as well." The ninja master told the group as he walked into the house. The group of four walked through the halls until they arrived at the room that Cassidy and Butch were originally in. Seeing the two trainers and a Beedrill tied up, Koga walked over to them and cut the string shot with one of his ninja stars. "I've heard stories about you two protecting my home. I am very grateful for your help. Please, stay for dinner, it is in your honor. Then after dinner, I must beg of you to stay the night, it is getting late out and the path back into town can be dangerous at night." Koga explained before standing up and leading the group down the hallways until they arrived at a dinning room. The room was exactly the same as all the others except it had a long table in the middle. The table was long enough to fit at least a dozen people around the whole thing. The problem was it's height. The table couldn't have been even a foot off the ground.

Nick noticed how short the table was and was confused. "How can anyone sit with the table being practically on the ground?"

Janine laughed at Nick's question, as she has always been used to seeing this kind of table. "Its called a chabudai table. It was used quite often in ancient times, my family still use them even though times have changed." She said, while walking to the table. "To sit, just fold your legs back and sit on them." She said while showing them. She folded her legs so it looked like she was kneeling, but then sat flat on her legs.

Nick was about to go sit next to Janine when Ebony grabbed his bag and pulled him to the other side of the table. "What was that about, and what has been your problem today!" Nick yelled at Ebony.

Before she spoke, Ebony's hand went across Nick's face, making it red from the impact. "First, never raise your voice to me, understand!" She said, waiting for Nick's response. He then nodded his head. "Second, you may be a genius on practically everything, but you are an idiot on a lot of things as well."

"Wait, is this about the thing from earlier. The one you told me I'd understand when I'm older?" Nick asked, but there was no response so Nick dropped the subject and turned to Koga. "Thank you for this meal tonight but, I came here for a gym battle. I was wondering if I could have one sometime tomorrow? If you're available that is." Nick asked the gym leader somewhat nervously.

Koga laughed at the boys nervousness. "Of course we can battle tomorrow. Our match will be at 2:00 pm in the backyard. That way I can have some time to fix my traps that were set off today." The ninja said before facing Samurai. "Boy, you look familiar, have I ever seen you before?"

"Me? You couldn't have, I live up in Clear Village. This is my first time visiting Fuchsia City." Samurai answered honestly.

"Clear Village you say." Koga said, gaining an interest. "You wouldn't be related to Endo at all would you?"

Now Samurai's interest was caught. _How does he know my brother?_ He thought. "Well, Endo is my brother but why does it matter?" He asked, trying not to be rude.

"Well, you must have been at your brother's league sanctioned gym leader test?"

Samurai didn't like how Koga was beating around the bush. "Of course, there was no way I'd miss it. I was late for the beginning and couldn't watch the test, but I saw the ceremony after."

Koga smiled. "I'm disappointed in you Samurai. How could you forget your own brother's gym test administrator?" Koga asked. "I knew you looked familiar, because I had seen you in Clear Village while I was there doing business for the league."

* * *

 **Team:**

 **Nick- 3 badges:**

 **Eevee- swift, quick attack, dig, shadow ball**

 **Beedrill- poison sting, fury attack, twinneedle, hyper beam**

 **Krabby- water gun, crabhammer, stomp, vicegrip**

 **Charmelon- flamethrower, ember, dragon rage, metal claw**

 **Ghastly- night shade, mean look, hypnosis**

 **Hitmonchan- mach punch, agility, comet punch**

 **At Oak's:**

 **Shellder**

* * *

 **Samurai:**

 **Pinsir- x-scissor, bulldoze, harden, revenge**

 **Venonat- supersonic, tackle, foresight**

 **Paras- energy ball, stun spore, fury cutter, slash**

 **At home:**

 **Butterfree- aerial ace, sleep powder**

* * *

 **Ebony- ? Badges:**

 **Charmelon- fire spin**

 **Meowth- thunderbolt, fury swipes**

 **Magneton- electro ball, thunder wave**

 **Seel**


	22. The League's Test

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Pokemon.**

Character thoughts are italicized

 **A/N: This is a flashback heavy chapter. It mainly centers around the Gym test Koga administered to Endo. So no one gets confused, the application to become a gym leader can take 7-10 before being answered. Then the test occurs. After the test, the evaluation is brought back to the league where they go over it for one month. After the one month, the applicant hears directly from the league, and then needs to fill out the final pieces of paperwork. So in this story, when Nick challenged Endo, it had been over five weeks since the application process began.**

* * *

Koga smiled. "I'm disappointed in you Samurai. How could you forget your own brother's gym test administrator?" Koga asked. "I knew you looked familiar, because I had seen you in Clear Village while I was there doing business for the league."

 _So he is the one I'm thinking about._ Janine thought while looking at Samurai.

"You still seem confused, let me remind you of that day." Koga began. "The league called me up and asked for me to look over a new gym's application. They told me that the trainer was a great candidate so they were going through with the gym test. I agreed and left for your village."

* * *

 **Flashback**

"Hm, a new gym?" Koga asked from his side of the conversation.

"Yes, a new application has come in. The man is a bug type genius and has already proved himself for us to administer the gym test." A voice from the other end said. "So, will you go administer the test?"

"Yes, I will go and evaluate him based on his gym test, but on one condition. I'm allowed to bring my daughter with me. She has never left Fuchsia City and I think this would be good for her."

"Very well, your request will be approved. You will need to be in Clear Village within five days. Thank you for helping us Koga." The voice said as the call ended.

* * *

"So I traveled across Kanto, reaching your village in four days. From there, I spent my own free day exploring the nearby forest, captivated by the scenery." Koga said.

"That's our river for you. Between the forest, mountains and the river that runs between them and into the center of the village, you won't see better scenery in Kanto." Samurai bragged.

"So, what exactly is this test?" Nick asked, full of excitement. Ebony on the other hand was walking out of the room with Aya showing her to the guest room.

"Don't worry, I'll get to that." Koga replied. "The next day I approached the gym. Back then, it wasn't even halfway completed. Oh you should have seen Endo's face when I showed up, saying the league sent me." Koga said, letting out a small laugh.

* * *

 **Flashback**

Koga approached the Clear Village gym as he walked across the village. "Hm, the construction is already halfway completed. I'm impressed by the effort, but for being a gym leader you'll need more than effort." Koga said as he knocked on the gym door swung open, and a young man dressed in armor was standing in the doorway. "I am looking for Endo."

"That would be me." Endo said, removing his construction hat. "How may I help you?"

"My name is Koga, I've been sent by the league to make sure you're worthy of being a gym leader." Koga said, his face having kept the same blank expression.

Endo didn't know if this was a good or bad thing. His gym was still in construction and the place was a mess. His facial expression changed back and forth from happy to shocked to scared. "Of course." He managed to say. "Come right in." Endo said, leading Koga into a waiting room.

Koga could see the tension building inside of Endo. "Relax, the league does not hold gym construction against you until after an approval. If you are approved, you'll have one month to finish construction before the league starts complaining."

Endo left the room before returning with two drinks. "So, what exactly is this test?" He asked, handing one of the drinks to Koga.

Accepting it Koga spoke. "I am not allowed to go into depth about it. But, there are three parts to the test. You have already passed the knowledge portion. The league passed you, based on your knowledge of all bug types native to Kanto." Koga said, stopping only to take a sip. "Now, you will be facing me in a battle. Do not hold back and count it as a gym battle. Since your gym isn't completed we will battle outside." He said standing up.

"Koga, wait." Endo said, following the gym leader. "The battlefield is complete, we had that completed first."

"Alright, lead the way." Koga said, following the applicant.

* * *

"So, how did the battle go?" Samurai asked.

"Ya, who won?" Janine joined in.

Koga laughed, "Hold on, I'm building up to that. Now, that battle was well fought by Endo. All of his bug types were trained well."

"Tell me about it." Nick chimed in.

"Huh. Nick, have you been to Clear Village?" Both Koga and Janine asked.

"Oh yeah, Samurai led me there. He never told me his brother was the gym leader. We had a close battle, but I managed to win thanks to my Kakuna evolving during the match. It was my first gym badge." Nick told everyone. "In fact, I was the first ever challenger for the gym."

"Well, let me get back to the story. The match was to be a one-on-one match. It was his Scyther against my Golbat."

* * *

 **Flashback**

"The battle is to be one pokemon for each side. You can use any pokemon in your possession. Since technically I'm a challenger, you will choose your pokemon first."

"Alright, here goes. Scyther fight by my side." Endo said as he tossed a pokeball. Scyther appeared before his trainer, ready to fight.

"I choose Golbat." Koga said, tossing his pokeball. A Golbat appeared in front of Koga. "Use wing attack." Golbat's wings glowed white as he flew towards Scyther. It's speed was incredible, managing to fly in and hit Scyther and fly away without being hit.

"Scyther, use agility to increase our speed. Then use x-scissor." Scyther charged at Golbat, growing faster after every second. As it was charging towards Golbat, Scyther's blades glowed a light green.

"Golbat, counter with wing attack!" Golbat's wings glowed white as they collided. Neither side moved, both continuing to try and overpower the other. Eventually both pokemon ended their attacks and moved backwards waiting for another attack.

"Scyther, use-" Endo started before someone cut him off.

"Mr. Endo, I'm sorry to interrupt but your brother called. He said it was urgent to get you." The man said.

"Alright, what is it?"

"Samurai said he found an injured pokemon, he used the recipes for the medication you taught him, but those haven't worked." The citizen explained.

"I understand." Endo said before facing Koga. "Our battle will have to wait. There's an injured pokemon that needs help. In my opinion, that comes before some league test. Scyther, return." He said, returning Scyther to it's pokeball before running out the door.

Koga stood there watching the trainer run "Golbat, return." He called as he returned Golbat to it's pokeball. Then, a cloud of smoke appeared and Koga disappeared. _His skills in battle are sufficient. It isn't about winning or losing, but how you battle. I will follow him in secret, to see how he is with everything else that goes on._ Koga thought while following Endo in secret.

* * *

"So you never finished your battle? That stinks, now you'll never know who was better." Nick said, seeming a little disappointed that the battle ended as it did. "So, what happened next. I want to know."

"First, you must learn. A great trainer isn't the one who wins every battle, but instead is the one who gives it their all. You could win every match you're in and still not be seen as good. Many factors go into battling, it just isn't about raw strength." Koga explained. He then looked a little embarrassed. "To understand the rest of the story, we'd have to hear what happened before Endo was called." He said, looking at Janine. "So, Janine, care to tell us what happened that day?"

 _So it was her. I thought she looked familiar, now I know. Janine's pokemon was injured and I helped them out._ Samurai thought.

"Well, it all started when I went with my father to Clear Village. I was able to see many new places and I brought my Venonat with me." She began. "While my father was performing his league test on Endo, I decided to explore the nearby forest."

* * *

 **Flashback**

"Janine, I'm leaving for the gym. Hopefully I'll find this Endo there." Koga told his daughter, who was laying on a bed. "Please stay out of trouble and do not venture too far into the forest."

"Yes father, but my I still explore part of the forest?" She asked.

"Alright, but do not go too far away from the apartment room understand. I do not know how long this will take." Koga said as he left the house.

Janine sat up and grabbed her pokeball. She immediately opened it, allowing her Venonat to come out. "Venonat, let's go explore the forest. We can get some training in." Janine told her pokemon as the two left the house. The duo then walked to the edge of town before reaching the bridge that her father and herself crossed when they arrived here. She stopped and looked at the river, having never seen one this clean before. "Isn't this river beautiful Venonat?" She asked, while getting close to the river.

Just then a new voice appeared. "The water runs straight from the Indigo Plateau. Our ancestors named the village after it, and because its our only source of water we take exceptional care of it." Samurai told the girl.

"Really, this water is from the Indigo Plateau. That's amazing. I hope I'll be able to visit it one day." Janine said before getting up and crossing the bridge.

Samurai could tell she wasn't from around here and tried to warn her of the forest. "That forest you're heading towards has many pokemon in it! Some may seem weak, but don't underestimate them!" He yelled, but she was too far away to hear him. He pulled a list from his pocket. "Now what pokemon did father need for his research?" He asked himself while crossing the bridge.

Elsewhere in the forest Janine and Venonat walked through the forest, enjoying the new scenery and the wild pokemon. "Venonat, this place is amazing! There are so many pokemon and this area has great scenery." She told her pokemon. "This should be a good place to practice. Father has me practice my ninja skills since I was able to walk. What better place to train than in a lush forest?" The two practiced their ninja skills in accordance with their battle skills. "If we continue getting better, then no one will beat us."

The ninja in training then sat down next to her pokemon and relaxed. "You know what Venonat. I love practicing to become a ninja and be skilled with poison types, but sometimes I wish father would allow me to go on a journey. Grow as both a person and a trainer." She said before smiling at Venonat. "You know what I mean?"

Just then a flock of Butterfree flew by the two. Venonat, amazed by the sight followed the Butterfree. "Venonat! Don't run off by yourself!" She yelled as she chased her pokemon. The Butterfree landed on a tree and began resting. Venonat was right behind them and Janine was behind it. Janine could see Venonat in front of her and could only watch as it ran into the tree and startled the flock of Butterfree. The pokemon immediately started using stun spore on the surrounding area. Janine, thinking quickly, covered her face with her scarf, making sure not to breath in the attack.

Venonat wasn't as fortunate, as it received the attack head on. The bug and poison type breathed in the majority of the spores and immediately stopped moving. Janine ran over to her pokemon and quickly removed it from the area. She laid Venonat down on the ground and removed her scarf. She noticed that Venonat was breathing, but it was heavy and it's whole body wasn't moving. "As long as you're breathing, you'll be okay. I promise." She then stood up and walked back out of the forest and down to the river. Once their she soaked her scarf in water.

Samurai was exiting the forest now with the pokemon he caught for his father when he noticed the girl from earlier was acting different. "Hey!" He yelled, getting her attention. "Is something wrong, can I help?"

Janine immediately grabbed his wrist and dragged him back to her Venonat. She placed the scarf on Venonat's head and explained how it had inhaled a large amount of stun spore.

Samurai checked it's breathing and noticed it was heavy. "It's breathing is heavy and it has a slight fever. Don't worry, my brother and father are experts with pokemon from this forest. They've taught me all their homemade remedies." Samurai said as he pulled some type of medicine from his bag. "This is made from local plants and will help with the fever." He said while helping Venonat drink it. After a few minutes Venonat's fever was starting to lower to an average temperature.

"Venonat, you feeling any better?" Janine asked, but there was no reply only the sound of it breathing.

"Don't worry, it'll be fine after having this." He said, pulling a second jar out of his bag. "This one was made from combining cheri and oran berry juices with the actual berries. It's the strongest one I have for paralysis." He said, forcing Venonat to drink. "The only downside is it smells horrible." He said, trying to lighten the mood.

The two watched Venonat, hoping that the medicine would help. After a while, Venonat began breathing easier than before, but it was still heavy compared to breathing normally and still couldn't move. "Do you have a nearby Pokemon Center?"

"No, since we're so far in the woods, no Center has been built here. We usually heal our pokemon with our homemade medicine." He said, pulling a pokeball out of his pocket. "Who would have thought that a carrier Pidgey would come in handy." He said as he attached a note that read 'Endo, I need your help. Injured pokemon and medicine isn't working. - Samurai'. He then sent the Pidgey off in the direction of the gym. After the Pidgey was gone, he picked Venonat up and put it on his back. Samurai then began carrying it. "I sent for my brother. We're going to find him, he has one medicine that should be stronger than mine." He then started to head back to the village with Venonat on his back and Janine following him.

* * *

"So, that's what happened?" Koga asked, even he hadn't heard the story of what had happened only that Venonat was injured.

"Ya, but, I didn't think I'd ever run into you again." She said facing Samurai. "You really helped me out back then, just like today."

Samurai had a light blush from the compliment. "It was nothing. You would have done the same if we were in the opposite positions."

"Well, I didn't really give you a choice. I just dragged you back to Venonat." She admitted.

"Well, this is good and all, but can we get back to the story!" Nick interrupted the two, growing impatient.

"Yes, now that you know what happened, I can continue from my point of view." Koga began. "I was following Endo from the shadows, not wanting to be seen. I wanted to see how he acted without him knowing people would judge these actions. I wanted to see the true Endo, I didn't know if the one from before was an act.

* * *

 **Flashback**

Endo raced through the streets, knowing that Samurai would only be in one direction if he had an injured pokemon. He raced to the edge of town. Fortunately, he had been correct, for before him was Samurai with a Venonat and a girl behind him. Koga, who was watching the whole thing was surprised to see his daughter.

"What happened Samurai?"

"This Venonat inhaled a large amount of stun spore. It isn't an amount I've seen before, it drank my whole jar of medicine. You know, the one to cure paralysis and even that didn't help."

"Alright, it shouldn't be that bad by now." He said as he checked. He was right, the medicine had taken longer than usual, but the breathing was becoming more natural. Unfortunately the Venonat still couldn't move. "Samurai, there's only one medicine that can help."

"You don't mean that one, do you?"

"Yes Samurai, go down to the lab and get it." Endo demanded. Samurai was off and running, not wanting to get on his brother's bad side.

 _Interesting, the man is skilled in not only battling but in medication. He knows what medicine to give in what situations. He truely is a worthy trainer to get an evaluation._ He thought as he watched from the shadows.

After a few minutes Samurai returned with an older locking jar. He handed it over to Endo and let him work. He then turned to Janine. "This medicine is a mixture of the river's clean water and of the strongest berries located around here." Janine watched as Venonat drank the solution and noticed the jar was empty.

"If you need help collecting berries, I can gather some." Janine offered, it was the least she could do.

Samurai shook his head. "No, you can't. You see, the berries are so rare that we can only make one jar per year. This way we'll have berries next year when the new ones are growing." Samurai explained.

"So, I made you waste it?" Janine said, feeling guilty

"It wasn't wasted, our ancestors left the recipe so we could help pokemon. That's exactly what we did today."

Venonat then jumped up, free of it's paralysis. Not only was Venonat standing, but now Koga was standing before Endo. "Endo, not only do you run off during our match, you also wasted my time. If I knew you'd be a horrible candidate, I'd have failed you on the spot." Koga told him, holding back a smile. Endo was speechless, his life's dream was disappearing before his eyes. Endo's face was too good to be true and Koga began to laugh. "Hmph." He cleared his throat. "The truth is, you are worthy of being a gym leader. Your skills in battle are amazing, your knowledge is off the charts and you have compassion for all people and pokemon. I will be leaving a positive view with your evaluation sheets. That doesn't mean you passed. The league committee will look over your evaluation and my review. From there, they will talk amongst themselves. Now Janine, we must be heading home." He said as the two ninja walked away.

* * *

"So, that was how you met Samurai. Its interesting, but I was expecting more." Nick said, critiquing the events of that day.

"I hate to end this, but it is getting late and I still have to prepare for a gym battle tomorrow." He said while looking at Nick.

The last four awake walked down the hallways until Nick and Samurai were brought to a guest room. The night went by fast, making it seem like they got no sleep at sll. Nick was up though, today he was going for his fourth badge.

* * *

 **Team:**

 **Nick- 3 badges:**

 **Eevee- swift, quick attack, dig, shadow ball**

 **Beedrill- poison sting, fury attack, twinneedle, hyper beam**

 **Krabby- water gun, crabhammer, stomp, vicegrip**

 **Charmelon- flamethrower, ember, dragon rage, metal claw**

 **Ghastly- night shade, mean look, hypnosis**

 **Hitmonchan- mach punch, agility, comet punch**

 **At Oak's:**

 **Shellder**

* * *

 **Samurai:**

 **Pinsir- x-scissor, bulldoze, harden, revenge**

 **Venonat- supersonic, tackle, foresight**

 **Paras- energy ball, stun spore, fury cutter, slash**

 **At home:**

 **Butterfree- aerial ace, sleep powder**

* * *

 **Ebony- ? Badges:**

 **Charmelon- fire spin**

 **Meowth- thunderbolt, fury swipes**

 **Magneton- electro ball, thunder wave**

 **Seel**


	23. The Toxic Epidemic

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Pokemon.**

Character thoughts are italicized

* * *

It was early in the morning, but Nick was up and ready to go. _Today's the day I have my gym match with Koga._ Nick thought to himself while he changed. _From what I've heard,_ _I'm going to need strength and speed to win. His pokemon are poison types, and are all fast. I have a feeling Golbat will be used as well._ Nick thought, going over his previous choices for the match. _The three I've already chosen should be fine._ Nick then left the room and went into the backyard where he laid down on the ground and relaxed. He was eventually joined by Eevee, who let himself out of his pokeball. Then Samurai, Ebony and Janine all joined him.

2:00 pm came around fast, with Koga arriving to the backyard seeing all four of them having a good time, he smiled when he saw Janine enjoying herself. _I haven't seen her this happy since I brought her with me to Clear Village._ He thought, before clearing his throat to make Nike aware of his presence.

Nick jumped up, not realizing he had lost track of time. "Oh, Koga, how long have you been waiting?"

Koga stood there with a blank expression, causing Nick to grow nervous. He then started laughing. "I just got here, no need to get nervous. Please, follow me to a different part of the yard." He said, beginning to walk away only to be followed by Nick and the others. He led them to a section of the backyard which had a pokemon field designed into it. "Our match will be held here, it will be a three-on-three battle."

"That's fine by me." Nick replied as he walked to one side of the field. "Wait. Who's going to be the referee?"

Just then a puff of smoke appeared, and out of it appeared Aya. "You should have been expecting an entrance like this from a ninja." She said, walking to where the referee stands.

"Aya is always the referee at this gym. Although, sometimes she's late." He said, looking at his sister. "Anyway, let us begin. I choose Golbat." He said, tossing it's pokeball.

"Golbat, just as I thought. Eevee, I choose you." Nick said pointing to the field as Eevee was already out of it's pokeball. Eevee then ran onto the field, ready to battle. "Eevee, start off with swift." Eevee swung it's tail, creating a swarm of stars which headed straight towards Golbat.

Both trainer and pokemon stood there, not fazed by the attack. "Golbat, counter with air cutter." Golbat started flapping it's wings, creating razor sharp blades out of the wind. The two attacks collided, canceling each other out. "Now, wing attack." Golbat's wings glowed white as he flew in towards Eevee. With no time to react, Eevee was hit dead on being sent backwards. Golbat merely glided on the wind to land in front of Koga. "Golbat, once again." Golbat flew in once again, ready to strike with wing attack.

Nick watched as Eevee was standing up as Golbat was getting closer. As Golbat was about 10 feet away, Nick thought of something. "Eevee, shadow ball." Eevee charged up the ghost type move, waiting for Golbat to get closer. "Fire!" Nick yelled, Eevee launched the attack on cue managing to hit Golbat directly. The attack caused Golbat to lose it's concentration and began falling. "Okay, use quick attack." Eevee sped up as it charged towards the falling Golbat.

"Golbat, double team." Koga commanded. Golbat managed to use the attack, creating clones of itself as it fell. Eevee still charged at one, only for it to be a clone. Eevee flew right through it and landed on the ground.

"Eevee, quick, turn around and use swift." Eevee did as it was told and launched the attack at all the Golbat. The stars raced towards the falling poison type and hit all of them at once. Golbat then hit the ground, having fainted from a combination of swift and hitting the ground.

"Golbat is unable to battle. Eevee is the winner." Aya said as Koga recalled Golbat.

"Ha, hey did it." Samurai said. "It was quick thinking to use swift right after Golbat used swift."

Ebony was confused. "Why would it matter if he used swift, any attack would do the job."

Samurai shook his head. "No, not like swift. Swift is a move that hits no matter what. Using it to hit every clone plus the real one was a good idea."

Janine joined in now. "Plus, if he launched unnecessary attacks, it would have tired out Eevee even more." She said, pointing to the normal type who was panting a little.

"Hmph, doesn't matter to me. My pokemon are conditioned to attack constantly." Ebony said, knowing she wasn't winning this argument.

"Good job Golbat. Now, Koffing its your turn." Koga said, tossing the second appeared, waiting for a command. "Double team." Koffing created clones that surrounded Eevee.

"This again. Eevee, use swift." Eevee once again created a swarm of stars, and destroyed all the clones, but Koffing was nowhere to be seen. "Where is it? Eevee, stay alert."

Just then Koffing appeared behind Eevee, having been hiding. "Koffing, use toxic." Koffing fired a spray of poisonous liquid right onto Eevee. "Toxic is a move that poisons your pokemon. Slowly the poison will weaken your pokemon until it can't fight any longer."

"I already know what toxic does. The only question I have is what's coming next." Nick said, in a confident tone.

"Oh, you'll see. Koffing, gyro ball." Koffing began spinning, gaining speed and a purple ring formed around it's body as it rotated. As it's speed increased, it charged towards Eevee.

"Eevee, slow it down with shadow ball." Eevee launched the attack, but once it made contact Koffing merely sliced right through it, unaffected by the attack.

"My Koffing has been trained that it's speed is rivaled by none. Normally, this would weaken gyro ball, but the added speed from Koffing cancels that out." Koga explained as Koffing hit Eevee. Koffing continued forward, flying past Eevee before turning around and was now facing Eevee. "Venoshock." Koffing fired another purple liquid at Eevee. Eevee had no time to react as he was hit by the liquid, shocking the normal type and causing a smoke cloud to appear.

"Eevee, are you alright!" Nick called out, but no response. When the smoke finally faded, Eevee was on the ground fainted. "Eevee return." Nick said as he recalled his pokemon.

"Eevee is unable to battle. The winner is Koffing." Aya said.

"Alright, its your turn now. Hitmonchan, I choose you." Nick said, tossing the pokeball.

"Why is he using a fighting type in this gym?" Janine asked.

"Who knows." Samurai said. "He always comes up for some strategy to overcome a weakness."

"Hitmonchan, start off with agility." Hitmonchan began running at lightning speed. He was moving so fast you could barely see him. Hitmonchan moved into close quarter combat with Koffing, getting right in front of it. "Comet punch." Hitmonchan began punching Koffing over and over. It's lightning fast punches giving the poison type no time to counter.

Koga smiled seeing that Nick fell into a false sense of safety, thinking that he had the upper hand. "Koffing, toxic." This time, the poisonous liquid sprayed from the holes all over Koffing. Hitmonchan had no way to avoid the attack and was covered in it.

"Hitmonchan!" Nick yelled out in concern. He had already seen how powerful a toxic venoshock combo was. "Hitmonchan, counter with comet punch." Hitmonchan began it's barrage of punches, managing to hit Koffing a few times but the poison type was too fast.

"Venoshock!" Koffing launched the poisonous liquid towards Hitmonchan.

Nick knew Hitmonchan couldn't be touched by the liquid or it was game over. "Hitmonchan, jump. Don't let that attack touch you." Nick warned him. Hitmonchan jumped high into the sky, avoiding the attack. "As long as that liquid doesn't touch us, we'll be fine."

"Oh really. Koffing, use gyro ball." Koffing began spinning at an incredible speed and the purple ring formed around it again. The poison type then charged towards a falling Hitmonchan.

"Hitmonchan, don't let it get close. Keep punching it back with comet punch." Koffing was just about to strike when Hitmonchan's fist collided with it, sending it backwards. Koffing then immediately charged again and the same result occured. The pattern continued on until Hitmonchan landed on the ground.

"You might have survived so far, but try this. Double team." Koffing then created clones of itself and surrounded Hitmonchan. "Try and dodge this. Venoshock." Koffing and it's clones launched the liquid from every direction, knowing Hitmonchan couldn't possibly dodge it.

"Hitmonchan, dodge with agility." Hitmonchan was dodging every attack thanks to it's lightning fast speed. Eventually Hitmonchan started slowing down due to fatigue.

"Now we have you. Venoshock, one more time." The Koffing all launched their attack again. This time Hitmonchan only managed to dodge a few of the attacks before being hit in the back, causing him to stumble and fall into the ground. The punching pokemon tried to get back up, but was hit by the remaining venoshock causing a cloud of smoke to appear.

The smoke cleared to reveal Hitmonchan had fainted. "Hitmonchan is unable to battle, the winner is Koffing."

"That Koffing is powerful. It managed to take out two of Nick's pokemon." Samurai said in amazement.

"That's my father for you. Always training his pokemon to amazing levels of strength." Janine stated.

"Nick is going to need some luck to win this one." Ebony added.

"Hitmonchan, return." Nick said, recalling his pokemon. "Ok, its all up to you, Krabby I choose you." Nick said, tossing the pokeball. Krabby appeared before Nick, looking straight at Koffing.

"Koffing, let us finish this match quickly. Venoshock." Koffing fired the all to familiar liquid at Krabby.

"Counter with water gun." Krabby raised it's claw and fired a stream of water, managing to push the poisonous liquid back at Koffing. "Alright you did it Krabby. Now, fire another water gun." Krabby was ready to fire again, only to now see multiple Koffing surround him.

"Don't tell me you forgot about our double team. Now we end this, Koffing use toxic." The Koffing all launched their toxic attacks at the same time, using the same tactic they did against Hitmonchan.

"I think you're underestimating us. Krabby use water gun on the ground." Krabby changed it's target, now pointing at the ground. It fired a stream of water that allowed Krabby to launch itself into the air, avoiding the attack.

"Now you're in a worse situation. Toxic once more." The Koffing all launched their attacks into the sky this time, hoping to hit Krabby.

"I told you, don't underestimate us. Krabby, aim a water gun straight into the sky." Krabby did as ordered and raised it's claw to the sky. It then launched it's attack straight into the air. The force of the attack pushed Krabby back onto the ground out of harms way, while the toxic attacks collided with the Koffing wiping away the clones.

"That technique was impressive, but show me one that will stop our speed. Koffing, gyro ball." Koffing began rotating and picking up speed. Once it obtained the max speed the familiar purple ring surrounded it's body before charging at Krabby.

 _You're wrong Koga. I've already figured out how to stop this attack, Hitmonchan showed me in it's battle against Koffing._ Nick thought as he watched the poison type approach. "Krabby, prepare a crabhammer but don't use it until Koffing is in front of." Krabby's claw started glowing a blueish color as Krabby waited. Once Koffing was within an arm's length Krabby swung at it, sending it backwards only for Koffing to come back for more. "Krabby, crabhammer once more, but this time hit it into the ground." Krabby waited once again, this time allowing Koffing to get closer. The poison type tried to dodge the attack so it could get Krabby from behind, but it had grown tired from the previous battle and wasn't as fast. Krabby swung down on Koffing, lodging him into the ground unable to move. "Okay Krabby, finish it with stomp." Krabby jumped down onto the stuck Koffing, landing directly on it and making it faint.

"Koffing is unable to battle, the winner is Krabby." Aya said, before a bright light filled the backyard. Everyone turned to see the light was coming from Krabby. After a while, light subsided and in Krabby's place was a Kingler.

"Krabby, I mean Kingler you evolved. I'm so proud of you." Nick said, excitement filling his voice.

"See, I told you he'd need luck." Ebony said teasingly. "What were the odds that Krabby evolved during the match?" She received no answer as she already knew she was correct.

"Do not celebrate just yet Nick. You still have to face one more pokemon of mine." Koga said, grabbing a pokeball. "I choose Muk." He tossed the pokeball and what looked like a pile of sewerage appeared infront of Koga. "Muk, use sludge bomb." Muk seemed to spit up giant balls of sludge and lauched them at Kingler.

Kingler stood there watching the balls come towards it. Before it was hit, Kingler raised it's claw and fired out it's own balls. These were made from mud. Nick pulled out his pokedex to see if Kingler learned any new moves, and saw that it learned mud shot. The two attacks collided and cancelled each other out.

"Muk, use sludge wave." Muk was surrounded by sludge, it's whole body being covered. The sludge was then launched at Kingler just as if an ocean wave was crashing down on it. "Try and stop Muk's greatest attack."

Nick watched as the wave of sludge came closing in on Kingler, and thought back to how in it's battle with Koffing, Kingler used water gun to dodge. "Kingler, aim your claw towards the ground at an angle and use water gun." Kingler did as it was told, firing it's water gun at the ground at about a 45 degree angle. The blast of water was able to send the water type flying over the sludge wave and right towards Muk. "Now, use crabhammer." Kingler pulled back it's claw as it readied to strike. As it came closer Kingler began the motion to strike, it swung the claw up over it's head, bringing it down onto Muk's head. Muk stood there, seemingly unfazed until it toppled over from the pain. Muk tried to stand back up, only to faint from the damage from crabhammer.

"Muk is unable to battle, the winner is Kingler. That means that Nick from Pallet Town is the winner of this match." Aya told everyone.

Nick immediately ran up to Kingler. "Kingler, that was amazing, to think you'd evolve and learn a new move all in one day as well. Take a nice long rest now." Nick said, returning his pokemon to it's pokeball.

Just then Koga walked over towards Nick. "You were a worthy opponent. For that, you are worthy of the soul badge." Koga said, handing over a pink, heart shaped badge to Nick. "I thought I had you at the end, but you kept cool and overcame my ultimate attack."

"Thank you sir. Between that sludge wave and just your Koffing alone, I didn't know if I was going to pull this off." Nick said modestly.

"So, where are you off to next?"

"Well, we were thinking of heading up towards Celadon City so I could challenge the gym there." Nick explained.

"Ah, Celadon is not too far from here. Follow route 18 from Fuchsia City. From there, continue on that path until you reach route 16. Celadon City should be around the corner from there."

"Thank you for everything Koga." Nick said, as Samurai Ebony and himself all walked towards the front gate.

Koga smiled to them, thinking to himself that he was going to miss the company. He then looked at Janine who had a depressed look on her face. Koga knew that these three were Janine's first three friends her own age. "Janine." Koga said, getting her attention. "I know about how you want to travel all over."

* * *

Flashback

Janine was showing Samurai the room he would be staying in for the night. While Samurai was unpacking, Janine sat down on his bed. "You know, you're pretty lucky. You get to travel all over and with people your own age. Don't get me wrong, training to be a ninja is great, but I wish that I was allowed to go on my own journey. Those few days I traveled with my father to your village were the best I've had in a while."

"Don't worry, one day you'll be able to see the world, travel on your own journey." Samurai reassured her.

Unknown to either of them, Koga was standing outside the room. He had been walking by when he had overheard Janine talking about wanting to travel.

* * *

"I know it will be hard on me, to see my only daughter start her very own journey and leave home. But at least I know she'll be happy." Koga said, pulling out a backpack. "I've already packed your bag before the gym match. Now, I expect you to call home often and I packed a camera so take pictures to show me everything you encounter." He said, putting the bag in her arms.

Janine was shocked, she didn't know how to react. Finally she did the only thing she could think of. She ran up to her father and hugged him. "Thank you father. I'll call home every chance I get and I'll take plenty of pictures for you." She promised.

Koga pulled away from his daughter. "You better get going if you're to catch up with them." With that Janine was running across the backyard and towards the front gate, surprising her friends.

"You know you made the right decision brother." Aya said, trying to reassure Koga.

"I know that, its just, sometimes the right decision isn't always the easy one." He said smiling.

* * *

 **Team:**

 **Nick- 3 badges:**

 **Eevee- swift, quick attack, dig, shadow ball**

 **Beedrill- poison sting, fury attack, twinneedle, hyper beam**

 **Kingler- water gun, crabhammer, stomp, mud shot**

 **Charmelon- flamethrower, ember, dragon rage, metal claw**

 **Ghastly- night shade, mean look, hypnosis**

 **Hitmonchan- mach punch, agility, comet punch**

 **At Oak's:**

 **Shellder**

* * *

 **Samurai:**

 **Pinsir- x-scissor, bulldoze, harden, revenge**

 **Venonat- supersonic, tackle, foresight**

 **Paras- energy ball, stun spore, fury cutter, slash**

 **At home:**

 **Butterfree- aerial ace, sleep powder**

* * *

 **Ebony- ? Badges:**

 **Charmelon- fire spin**

 **Meowth- thunderbolt, fury swipes**

 **Magneton- electro ball, thunder wave**

 **Seel**

* * *

 **Janine:**

 **Venonat- psybeam**

 **Zubat**

 **Grimer**


	24. The Ultimate Test

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Pokemon.**

Character thoughts are italicized.

* * *

The group, now joined by Janine, continue on their journey to Celadon City when they came across a rather large building. "Pokemon League Admissions Exam building." Nick read. "What in the world is that?"

"Its part of the league. You see, some trainers don't have the time to collect eight badges. So instead they take the exam. There are multiple exam buildings around Kanto. Each one has a written portion and a battling portion for the test. If you pass, you're allowed entrance into the league without any badges." Janine explained.

"That sounds like a joke. Only the trainers who collect eight badges should be able to enter the league. How does the league know if someone just got lucky here." Nick said. "This place makes the league sound like a joke."

"Oh really? You'd think someone as smart as you would be interested in trying this place out." Ebony teased. "Could it be that you're just upset that you've never heard of this place."

"Come on, give it a try first." Samurai said, dragging his friend into the building. "It could be fun for all you know."

The group of four all registered for the league exam and waited in the lobby until the exam was to begin. As they were waiting, the instructor walked out of the classroom. "Everyone taking part in the exam must leave all their pokeballs at the counter and then line up based on the number you received." He told everyone. Nick and the others left their pokeballs at the counter and lined up. Nick had been given number one, Samurai was twelve, Janine was thirteen and Ebony was twenty. The entire class walked into the room and sat at their assigned seats.

"Now, some of you may know how this works." The instructor began. "This portion of the exam is based on knowledge about pokemon and your ability to recognize them. After that the battle portion takes place outside on the practice fields. Now, while inside there will be no talking or cheating of any kind. Understand." Everyone taking the test nodded in agreement except for Nick, who merely seemed bored. The instructor noticed this and called him out on it. "Son, it seems like you don't want to be here, why are you wasting your time?"

"Well, my friends forced me into doing this. They're in the class as well. Personally I'd prefer collecting gym badges, you see, I've already earned four of them."

"You know, gym badges are going to be outdated once we get more enrollments at the league exam buildings. People will enjoy it more as it challenges the mind as well as your battling skills." The instructor said, trying to impress Nick.

Nick wasn't impressed though and even yawned as the instructor spoke. "Not to be rude, but can we start this? I have to get to Celadon City soon."

"Alright, this portion will test you on your knowledge of pokemon. The first question is on the board."

 _Vulpix evolves into Ninetails with a fire stone. True or false._ Nick read silently to himself. _Could this be any easier?_ He thought to himself as he clicked true on the screen.

 _Lickitung's tongue is twice as long as it's body._ Nick read. _Can't I get harder questions?_ He thought as he clicked true. This continued on for every question until the first half of the first portion was completed. Everyone was now given a short 20 minute break before the recognizing pokemon portion began.

"So Nick, you having a difficult time yet? Is this proving to you that trainers who pass this test are worthy to compete at the league?" Ebony asked, hoping to be able to prove him wrong.

"Nope." He said while yawning. "If they gave harder questions then maybe it would be a little fun. But trainers who pass here shouldn't be able to enter the league."

Janine was confused a little, sure she found the test easy as well, but even herself had to guess on a couple. "Samurai, why does he think the test is boring?" She asked, whispering to him.

"Its because he's like a walking encyclopedia. I guess at some trainer school for people from ages 3-10, or right before you become a trainer. He knew all the answers to everything." He explained. "I've never seen him questioned on anything, so this is a first for me as well."

Ebony couldn't help but over hear Samurai. "Don't even get me started on that school. Nick was so smart, we started calling him 'boy genius Nick'. The funny part is, he never realized why we called him that until recently."

"All participants please return to the classroom." The instructor called out. The trainers all walked into the room and sat at their seats. "This portion of the test will test your ability to recognize pokemon. A picture of a pokemon will be on the screen, but it will be blacked out. You must choose what pokemon you think it looks like. Here is the first picture."

The first picture was just a circle. Nick then looked closer and noticed two little bumps poking out of the circle. _Trick question. They want you to guess Voltorb or Electrod. The answer is Jigglypuff._ Nick thought, while writing down the answer.

"Alright, put your pen down." The instructor told as the screen showed the picture. "The answer is, a Jigglypuff from above. Okay, here's the next one." He said, showing the outline of a swirl.

 _A swirl like that means its either Poliwag, Poliwhirl, or Poliwrath. By looking at the swirl, its obviously Poliwag._ Nick thought to himself.

"Alright, pens down." The instructor said as the screen revealed the pokemon. "The answer is Poliwag. If you look at the swirl pattern, it shows that as a Poliwag. Once it evolves into Poliwhirl, the pattern changes." He said as the screen changed.

This pattern continued until the portion was finished. Every time a question was shown, Nick knew the answer in seconds. Once the written portion of the test was completed, the instructor told everyone to head back to the main entrance of the building. As everyone stood outside waiting, a large screen was dropped down from the ceiling. On it was everyone's picture next to their score.

The group walked over to the screen to check their scores. Immediately they found Nick had scored a perfect score. "Just like I told you guys, the test was too easy." Nick said, as he looked for the others' scores.

"You have to admit, some of the questions gave you a hard time." Ebony said, trying to prove herself right.

"Nope. But I did see that someone had trouble during the test." Nick said, pointing to Ebony's score. She scored the lowest score out of the four of them and only scored about a 72.

"I never realized that Nick was this smart." Janine said. "Does he always throw it in your face?" She asked Samurai.

"No, not often. He only does this when someone annoys him enough, or if he gets upset at something. In this case, he's both annoyed with Ebony and upset that the league permitted this exam to exist." Samurai explained.

"Oh, well let's find our scores." She said, searching for their scores on the screen. "Hey, I found your score." She said pointing at his picture. He had scored close to a 74. "Hey, I beat your score." She said, seeing that she had scored close to a 92.

"Well, it takes more than just knowledge to be a good trainer. Besides, give me a test on bug types and I'd score a perfect score." Samurai said.

Just then the instructor walked into the building. "Everyone, please follow me into the back. The battle portion will begin soon." He said, having all the participants walk outside to the practice fields. Once outside, everyone lined up to receive

Nick went to the back of the line while everyone else fought to get to the front. Everyone was handed a belt which contained three pokeballs on it. When it was Nick's turn however, he declined the pokeballs. "I'm not going to need them. I'm dropping out of the exam."

This caught the instructor by surprise. "But why? You have the highest score out of anyone. This must be easy for you?"

"That's exactly why I'm quitting. Your exam was so easy, that its boring me." He said, yawning after the last sentence. "Besides, I enjoy collecting my gym badges instead." Nick then walked away, heading to the desk to retrieve his pokeballs.

His friends were surprised. "Did he really quit," Samurai began. "Because its too easy?" Even he couldn't believe it.

"That kid is way too stubborn. He probably only finds it boring because this whole exam goes against his way of thinking." Ebony said.

"Alright, everyone listen up!" The instructor called out. "The way this will work is simple. Each of you will battle me one at a time. If you show good skills you pass and based on how you did earlier will determine if you get to compete at the league. So, even if you lose, you could still pass the test."

Elsewhere, Nick was laying under a tree with Eevee. The two were reading Nick's book when Nick stood up. "Hey Eevee, I wonder how everyone is doing with their dumb tests." He said as he walked towards the back of the building with Eevee following. "Let's go take a look." The duo approached the practice fields and found Samurai standing around. "Samurai, how are things going on around here?"

The trainer faced Nick. "They're going well. The last battle is going on right now." He said before inching closer. "Tell me why you really quit. You couldn't think it was too easy."

Nick just laughed. "Like I told the instructor, it was too easy. But, I want to enter the league on my own. I want to earn my remaining four gym badges with the strength of my pokemon. Not because of how smart I am."

"I understand, but do you really hate this whole idea of a single test allowing you to enter the league?"

"Yes and no. I think its a good idea for people who lack the time to travel for their badges. I just don't want to see people abuse this. The gyms are meant to test trainers' skills. They are a better way of testing yourself instead of the test."

Just then the instructor walked over. "Okay, today's exam has finished. Everyone head back to the registration desk. Once you hand over your testing number, your score will be given to you either with or without the league badge."

Nick followed Samurai to the registration desk, he explained how everyone was separated when the testing had begun. When they walked inside, Nick noticed that the waiting line was all the way out the door. "You know what." He began. "I'll be waiting under this tree, once you get your score, come meet me here." Nick then sat down and pulled his book out from his bag. Time passed as he waited and he began to grow tired. Before he realized it, he was fast asleep under the tree.

Inside the building it was now Samurai's turn. He walked up to the desk and handed over his number. He could hear someone typing away at a keyboard before handing him his score sheet. To his surprise, the league's badge was attached to it. He turned around to head back to Nick, when he saw Janine looking at her scores. "Hey Janine, how'd you do." He said, raising his badge.

"Just fine." She said, raising her badge back at him.

"So, what should we do? We're technically able to enter the league. Should we tell everyone?" Samurai asked his friend.

"Nah." Janine replied. "It'll be a fun surprise at the league. I saw Ebony head outside. Hopefully Nick is somewhere nearby." She said, walking out the front door.

"I was with him. He was in the front, he said he'd be under a tree." Samurai explained as they started looking at every tree, trying to find their friend.

After a while, Samurai and the others appeared. "Nick! Wake up!" Samurai yelled, startling Nick.

Nick jumped. "I'm up." He said to his friends. "So, how did you guys do?"

Samurai spoke for the group. "He didn't pass anyone. He felt that none of us were ready to enter the league."

"Well that's too bad. I thought at least you three would pass." Nick replied, unbeknownst to him that Samurai and Janine both passed. "Well, no point in sitting around here. We have to get going to Celadon City." Nick said, getting off the ground and getting ready to leave. The group was then off, continuing onto Celadon City.

* * *

 **Team:**

 **Nick- 4 badges:**

 **Eevee- swift, quick attack, dig, shadow ball**

 **Beedrill- poison sting, fury attack, twinneedle, hyper beam**

 **Kingler- water gun, crabhammer, stomp, mud shot**

 **Charmelon- flamethrower, ember, dragon rage, metal claw**

 **Ghastly- night shade, mean look, hypnosis**

 **Hitmonchan- mach punch, agility, comet punch**

 **At Oak's:**

 **Shellder**

* * *

 **Samurai- league exam badge:**

 **Pinsir- x-scissor, bulldoze, harden, revenge**

 **Venonat- supersonic, tackle, foresight**

 **Paras- energy ball, stun spore, fury cutter, slash**

 **At home:**

 **Butterfree- aerial ace, sleep powder**

* * *

 **Ebony- ? Badges:**

 **Charmelon- fire spin**

 **Meowth- thunderbolt, fury swipes**

 **Magneton- electro ball, thunder wave**

 **Seel**

* * *

 **Janine- league exam badge:**

 **Venonat- psybeam**

 **Zubat**

 **Grimer**


	25. Cycling Grand Prix

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Pokemon.**

Character thoughts are italicized

* * *

As the group continued on their way to Celadon City, they arrived in Sunnytown. "Can someone tell me where exactly Sunnytown is located?" Nick complained.

Samurai reached into his bag and pulled out his map. "If you look here." He began, showing Nick the map. "Sunnytown is located at the end of cycling road. If we continue on this path, we could make it to Celadon City by the end of the week."

This got Nick excited. "If that's the case, why are we standing around. Let's get moving." He started to walk forward, only to jump back when a swarm of people on bikes almost ran him over. "What just happened?"

Just then, an Officer Jenny stopped infront of the group. "You should be more careful. Especially with the Poke-Cycle Grand Prix starting in a few hours."

"Poke-Cycle Grand Prix?" The whole group said back.

"What is this grand prix? Is it some kind of race?" Ebony asked.

"That's exactly it. Trainers compete against each other by riding on bikes up cycling road. While riding, each trainer has a pokemon with them to try and knock the other competitors out of the race." Officer Jenny explained. "If you're interested in trying, you can still register over at the Pokemon Center."

"This sounds like a good chance to train. I don't know about you three, but I'm entering and I plan on winning." Nick said enthusiastically.

"But, we don't have any bikes with us." Janine pointed out, popping Nick's bubble.

"Don't worry. The Pokemon Center rents bikes out to travelers that arrive here on the day of the race." Officer Jenny said.

The group then headed straight for the Center, looking to register. Once there, they found the Center to be surprisingly deserted. "Hello! Nurse Joy are you here? We want to enter the race!" Nick yelled down the halls.

Nurse Joy walked from around the corner. "I'm sorry, we don't get many visitors on this day. In fact, not too many people participate in the race anymore. Its a real shame."

"What do you mean, 'not too many people participate'? We almost got run over on our way here." Samurai asked.

"Those might have been members of the local bike gang. Chopper has won this race the last three years in a row. He'll stop at nothing to win." Nurse Joy told them. "But maybe if one of you can win, it'll knock him down a peg. Maybe dent his ego a little. But before that, you still need to register with what pokemon you'll be using."

"I'll win this race, and show this Chopper who is a real competitor." Nick said, motivated to win. "I'll show him that you can't scare me."

The group all registered, one after the other. Nick signed up with Eevee, Samurai was with Paras, Ebony with her Meowth and Janine with her Venonat. They also all rented bikes for the race. Nurse Joy then pulled out a map. "The race route follows cycling road exactly as it is. The finish line is the Pokemon Center at the other end. If you need a bicycle, you can borrow one from the pile over there. You just have to leave them at the other Center after the race.

Everyone picked out their bikes. Nick had a red bike, Samurai picked a light green bike, Ebony grabbed a blue bike and Janine picked a purple bike. The four then rushed over to the starting line, as the race was to start soon. The group lined up to the starting line. As they waited, a group of bikers arrived being led by a guy with red hair standing straight up and wearing a leather vest. His bike looked like a Zapdos and he rolled up right between Ebony and Janine and continued until he was infront of all four trainers.

"Well, what do we have here." He said, looking at the four trainers. "The name's Chopper. In case you didn't know, I've won this race three years in a row. I'm kinda like a celebrity around here." He then looked at Janine and Ebony. "You two are pretty cute, how'd you like to date a four time champion."

"I'd rather eat dirt than go out with you." Ebony replied, sticking her tongue out at the punk.

Janine on the other hand moved closer to Samurai. "I'm already seeing someone." She said, grabbing Samurai's hand.

This confused Samurai. "What are you talking about." He whispered.

"Just help me out. I can't stand this guy." She whispered back.

The two responses weren't what Chopper wanted to hear. He circled around the four, trying to intimidate them. "You don't know who you're messing with. Everyone knows better than to get me upset. I'll make sure you learn that during the race." Chopper then left, rejoining his gang.

"That guy's a creep." Ebony said. "There is no way I'm losing to him."

"I don't think any of us will." Nick added.

Just then, a gust of wind blew through the starting line. As everyone covered their faces from the wind, they didn't notice a boy role up next to them. "Well, if it isn't Nick. Its been awhile hasn't it?" The boy said.

Both Ebony and Janine were confused by this person, but Nick and Samurai recognized him immediately. "A.J, how's it been? I haven't seen you since we battled outside of Cerulean City."

"I know, how's your journey been. Personally, its been great. I've already earned six badges. I was on my way to Fuchsia City to challenge the gym there when I heard about this race. That guy over there, the one on the Zapdos bike, tried to scare me out of the race." A.J explained to everyone.

"You too. He's won this race the past three years and I guess he tries to scare away the competition. So, who did you enter with?" Samurai asked.

"My Voltorb. Its the easiest one to use. All my other ones are either too big or heavy for the bike. Voltorb can sit in my basket though."

"All racers make your way to the starting line, the race is beginning in exactly one minute." A voice over a loud speaker said. "As is always the case, we have checkpoints along the trail. If you don't reach a checkpoint by a certain time, you are eliminated." The traffic light infront of everyone lit up. The color changed from red to yellow to green. Once the light turned green, everyone was off.

Samurai rushed out to an early lead with Paras in his basket. Not to far behind was Chopper and a handful of his gang members. _This guy doesn't understand how this race works. It doesn't matter if he rushes out in front of everyone, at this rate he'll be too tired to continue by the halfway point._ Chopper thought as he peddled. "Okay boys, its time to go to work." He said as all the members grabbed their pokeballs.

Elsewhere, Nick was peddling along. He knew that at the current pace he was at, he would have a decent chance of winning. As he was peddling, he started to notice something going on up ahead.

"Venonat, use psybeam." Janine called out. The bug and poison type pokemon launched the psychic attack from it's eyes, the beam hitting a few people on bikes.

"Janine, what's going on." Nick yelled as he caught up to her.

Before she could answer, a new bike appeared. It's rider was a female with long green hair, who wore a leather jacket. "So, you think you'll be of any help to her?" The voice asked while laughing.

"Who are you and why are you after us!" Nick demanded.

"Hasn't anyone ever taught you how to talk to a lady?" She asked teasingly. "I'm Tyra, second in command of the Bridge Bike Gang. Our leader has told us to dispose of any other competitors." She said, raising a pokeball. "Pikachu, use discharge." The electric type appeared in Tyra's basket, charging up electricity in it's cheek pouches. The electric mouse launched the attack at the duo. Electricity flew from it's cheeks and headed straight for Janine and Nick.

"Voltorb, use light screen on those two up ahead." A.J called out from behind everyone. An invisible screen covered Nick and Janine, causing the discharge attack to bounce off of it.

"What are you doing, why help them? You're only going to have to race them as well. Why not let me take out your competition." Tyra asked.

"You see, I don't really like your little gang." A.J explained. "I'd rather win this race fairly, then win by taking everyone out. Voltorb, use sonic boom." Voltorb spun around quickly, creating a shockwaves to be created. The shockwaves were then launched in the direction of Tyra's bike, popping her tires and knocking her out of the race. "Let that be a message to your gang. Don't mess with me before a race, or you're going to regret it." He yelled as Nick, Janine and himself peddled away.

Further behind, Ebony was being chased by a few gang members who were trying to knock her out of the race. She dodged attack after attack as she peddled down the Grand Prix's path. "Meowth!" She yelled, waking the cat pokemon up from it's nap. "Use thunderbolt on these guys." Meowth stood up and climbed from the front of the bike to behind Ebony, standing on the bike seat. The normal type then began to charge up electricity before launching it in front of the bikers. The electric attack moved back and forth in front of the bikers, causing them to fall off their bikes when they tried to dodge it. Ebony turned around and laughed at the group laying on the ground behind her. "That's what you deserve for picking on a girl."

As Ebony continued peddling, she realized she wasn't moving as easily as before. She jumped off the bike and checked to make sure everything was fine. As she checked everything on the bike, it all seemed fine to her. When she checked the tires however, she found poison sting needles stuck in them. She realized that the attack must have put holes in the tires and caused them to lose air. "Well Meowth, it looks like we aren't going any further in this race." She said to her pokemon, disappointed in the fact that she lost.

Further ahead, Samurai was still in the lead with the majority of the bike gang behind him and Chopper right in the middle of them all. "Paras, maybe we should give them a little surprise." Samurai told his pokemon. "Use stun spore, that way a trail of it will be left behind us. If they breathe it, they won't be able to continue racing." He explained as Paras shook it's mushrooms, creating the spores and releasing them into the air.

The plan worked exactly like Samurai had hoped. A majority of the gang rode right into the stun spore, inhaling it and causing them to drop out of the race. Chopper wasn't one of them though. When he noticed Paras releasing something into the air earlier, he immediately covered his mouth and nose so that he wouldn't breathe any of it in. "If he thinks he can beat us with a silly trick like that, he's surely mistaken." Chopper said, only to see most of his gang members were out of the race.

Chopper was now annoyed with Samurai. _No one makes a fool out of the Bridge Bike Gang and gets away with it._ He thought as he looked straightforward. "Beedrill!" He yelled as the poison and bug type flew down from the sky. "Use poison sting on that bike up ahead." He said, pointing at Samurai. Beedrill raised it's stingers and fired at Samurai, hitting the bike right away.

Once the bike was hit, Samurai started losing contol of it. He looked behind him to see that Chopper was still in the race, and attacking him. "That guy just doesn't quit." He said, looking forward again. "Paras, use energy ball." Paras charged up the green ball of energy and launched it at Chopper, who dodged it easily. Samurai could feel his tires losing air, and losing it at a fast rate. "Paras, we don't have much time, keep firing energy ball. If we're going down, we're taking him with us." Paras continued to fire attack after attack at the gang leader, only to have him dodge every single one.

"Play time is over. Beedrill, use string shot!" Chopper commanded. Beedrill fired string from it's mouth, the attack landed on the back of Samurai's bike and then passed him shortly after.

Samurai could feel himself being stopped and looked around. He noticed that on the end of his bike was a string shot attack. He then noticed that the attack ran all the way to a pole, making it impossible to move any further until he could cut it. "Well Paras, we did our best. I guess we just weren't meant to win this race."

Just then, Nick, Janine and A.J all rode by Samurai as they tried to catch up to Chopper. They were almost at the finish line and didn't have much time left. "We don't have much time left." A.J said, between breaths of air.

"Ya, you're right." Nick said, agreeing with the trainer. "After the drawbridge, is the finish line." Nick said, pointing to the bridge up ahead.

The three trainers then increased their speed, knowing that the race was nearly over. "We can't let that guy win this race." Janine said, picking up the most speed, only for A.J to pass her. Neither of them get far, as they noticed that the drawbridge was rising for a boat to pass through. "If we don't make it over," Janine began "we'll lose the race."

A.J wasn't losing to someone like Chopper. He started peddling as hard as he could, climbing the raising drawbridge. Nick stared in disbelief that he was going to try and jump the gap. "Janine." Nick said, getting her attention. "Launch psybeam at A.J's bike. I'm going to launch shadow ball. Hopefully the explosion from the attacks can help launch him over the bridge." He said, explaining his plan. He then looked down at Eevee. "Eevee, use shadow ball." Eevee launched the ghost type attack at A.J's bike, hoping it would be enough.

"Venonat, use psybeam." Janine called out. Venonat fired it's attack as well, launching the colored beam at A.J's bike. The two attacks collided, causing an explosion that sent A.J into the air. The duo could only watch as A.J flew over the drawbridge and landed on the other side.

Thanks to the steep incline, A.J was gaining a new burst of speed. He flew down the drawbridge, passing Chopper on the way by. "I guess you won't be winning four years in a row." He teased as he flew by the only other racer left.

"I wouldn't get so full of yourself just yet. Beedrill, use string shot." Beedrill fired the same attack that had got Samurai tied to a pole just before the drawbridge.

A.J smirked, having figured a way to beat this. Once the string was attached to his bike, he tried out his plan. "Voltorb, use thunderbolt on that string." A.J said, pointing at the string shot. The electric type did exactly as it was told, launching the electrical attack onto the string. The electricity flowed through the string, heading straight back at Beedrill. The bug type was unable to lose his end of the string and was shocked by the thunderbolt, knocking it out and causing it to fall on top of it's trainer.

A.J watched Beedrill crush it's trainer as he crossed the finish line, winning the race. As he was celebrating with Voltorb, Nick and the others all arrived to congratulate him on winning the race. Immediately after the race was finished, A.J jumped back onto his bike as he was ready to head to Fuchsia City.

"You'd think that you would be tired of riding a bike after today." Nick joked with his rival.

"Riding is the fastest way to Fuchsia City. I can head straight back to Sunnytown and then Fuchsia a short walk from there." He said before peddling away.

"Well, I guess that's our cue to get going as well." Nick said as the group of four left and continued on their way to Celadon City.

* * *

 **Team:**

 **Nick- 4 badges:**

 **Eevee- swift, quick attack, dig, shadow ball**

 **Beedrill- poison sting, fury attack, twinneedle, hyper beam**

 **Kingler- water gun, crabhammer, stomp, mud shot**

 **Charmelon- flamethrower, ember, dragon rage, metal claw**

 **Ghastly- night shade, mean look, hypnosis**

 **Hitmonchan- mach punch, agility, comet punch**

 **At Oak's:**

 **Shellder**

* * *

 **Samurai- league exam badge:**

 **Pinsir- x-scissor, bulldoze, harden, revenge**

 **Venonat- supersonic, tackle, foresight**

 **Paras- energy ball, stun spore, fury cutter, slash**

 **At home:**

 **Butterfree- aerial ace, sleep powder**

* * *

 **Ebony- ? Badges:**

 **Charmelon- fire spin**

 **Meowth- thunderbolt, fury swipes**

 **Magneton- electro ball, thunder wave**

 **Seel**

* * *

 **Janine- league exam badge:**

 **Venonat- psybeam**

 **Zubat**

 **Grimer**


	26. Adventures in Celadon

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Pokemon.**

Character thoughts are italicized

* * *

After their adventure in Sunnytown, Nick and the others finally reached Celadon City. "We finally made it." Nick cried in joy of finally being able to earn his fifth badge.

"Hold on there." Samurai said, getting Nick's attention. "Do you even know where the gym is located?"

"Well, uh. Its somewhere in the city." Nick said, obviously having no idea.

The group then walked around the city, looking for the gym when a strange fragrance filled the air. "What is that?" Nick asked.

"It must be perfume. Its most likely coming from that store." Janine said, pointing in the direction of a beauty salon.

"While we're here, we should at least check it out." Ebony said. "I mean, it would be rude for us not to compliment them on this amazing fragrance."

"Amazing? This is the worst thing I've ever smelled in my life." Samurai said. "Trust me, when you spend most of your time in Viridian Forest, you smell some pretty nasty things. But compared to this, the Viridian Forest is nothing."

Unfortunately, while Samurai was talking, Janine and Ebony had already left. By the time Samurai noticed, the duo were already walking through the door to the salon.

"Hey, its okay if they didn't listen to you. While they waste time, we can at least look for the gym." Nick told his friend.

"I guess you're right. I just can't see why people like that junk." Samurai said as they walked down the street. After walking for ten minutes, the two guys came across a strange building. On the outside the building was circular with a roof that looked like a Gloom's head. "This is a strange design." He said as the duo walked inside. Once inside, they noticed that the whole building was filled with flowers and plants.

"Its like an indoor garden." Nick said in awe. "This building is huge. Much larger than what the outside shows." The duo walked up to the service desk and rung for help.

After a few minutes a secretary appeared. "Hi, can I help you at all?" She asked the two boys.

"Ya." Nick answered. "Do you know the way to the Celadon gym, you see, we're lost and I'm hoping to challenge the gym today." Nick explained.

The secretary couldn't help but to let out a small laugh. "Don't you boys know? This building is the Celadon gym." She explained. "Unfortunately, lady Erika is away until this afternoon. You see, outside of her gym duties she also runs a perfume business down the street that works with a beauty salon. She also spends time teaching at Celadon University."

"Wow, does she ever have time to herself?" Nick asked.

"Oh yes she does. So, about your gym match, does a battle starting at 3:00 pm work well for you. Lady Erika has a class today and it gets finished around 1:00 pm. This way she'll have some time off." The secretary said as she wrote this down in a book.

"Ya, that's perfect." Nick said. "Thank you for your help." Nick said as he walked to the door. "I'll be back for 3:00 pm for my match."

As they walked out of the building, Nick looked at the clock on the building. It read 11:15 am. "Well, we have some time to waste, what are you in the mood for?" He asked Samurai.

Without him answering, they both knew the answer by the sound of their stomachs. Both boys blushed from embarrassment and then laughed at themselves. "Well, I guess that settles it." Samurai said. "We haven't eaten all day because someone burnt breakfast." He said while looking at Nick.

"Hey, I said that I was sorry." Nick said while scratching the back of his head. "I lost track of time while reading. I thought that the eggs would take longer."

"Well, they didn't." Samurai responded as he pulled a map of the city from his pocket. "I grabbed this while you were talking inside. The map has every store and restaurant in this city listed." He said as he pointed at various places.

"Hey!" Nick yelled as he pointed at a restaurant. "This one says all you can eat."

"That sounds great, unfortunately, we don't have a lot of money left."

"Wait, there's something else written here." Nick said. "Come and enjoy our all you can eat 5 star buffet. While eating enjoy the view of the city alongside your pokemon for free on Tuesdays." Nick read, not finishing the sentence. "See, its for free today. You can't turn down free food, especially when it is a day that we cook."

Samurai thought about it. "I guess you're right. Even after Ebony tried to teach us, we still burn the food."

The duo walked off in the direction of the restaurant, only picturing the meal that would be waiting for them. They finally reached the restaurant and noticed a decent line going out the building. "I wonder what is going on here?" Samurai asked as they waited. Once they got to the register, the two ordered the buffet option, only to see a huge bill come along with it. "I thought it was free today." He said, upset.

"I'm sorry. Its only free on Tuesdays when you bring the type of pokemon native to the city's gym." The cashier explained.

"Wait. Don't bill us yet. We're pokemon trainers, maybe we have the types needed." Nick explained as he called out his six pokemon, followed by Samurai's three. "See, are any of these the correct type."

"I'm sorry, it doesn't look like you have any grass types." She said apologetically.

"Grass type. My Paras is a grass type." Samurai said, lifting his pokemon.

"I may not be a trainer, but I know Paras is a bug type."

Nick pulled out his pokedex and scanned Paras. "See, the pokedex says that Paras is part grass type." Nick said, pointing to the screen.

"Oh, you're right. I'm sorry for the inconvenience, please take any seat you want. But by now, you two just got the last available seat."

Just then, a new voice joined the conversation. "There's no more tables. You've got to be kidding." The voice said. The two friends and the cashier turned to see a woman with black hair that went down to her ears. She was wearing a kimono with flowers on it and a pair of sunglasses. "I only have 30 minutes for my lunch break and this was the only place that wasn't full."

"I'm sorry, but these two gentlemen just got the last table."

Nick and Samurai looked at each other and then at the lady. They felt bad for her and decided to help. "She can sit with us if she wants." Nick said.

"Oh, you'd help me out like this. Thank you." The lady said as she walked over to the two trainers.

"Hold on." The cashier said. "They ordered the buffet. Unless you have a grass type, you'll have to pay for your meal."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Where are my manners." She said as she opened a pokeball revealing an oddish. "This should be enough to cover as a grass type." She then recalled her pokemon and walked with the trainers to the last table. "I really am grateful for your kindness." She said, sitting down. "I work at the nearby Celadon University, and my lunch is only 30 minutes long."

"Its no problem. We're more than happy to help." Samurai said. "We only came here because Nick burnt our breakfast this morning."

"I said I was sorry." Nick said to Samurai. "You know, you try and read while cooking and he never lets you forget it."

This made the woman laugh. "So you enjoy learning, what is the harm in that. If you two would like, you could accompany me back to my classroom and watch the last 30 minutes of class."

Nick's eyes lit up just like a Christmas tree, but before he could answer Samurai cut him off. "We would love to see how Celadon University is, but we split up with a few friends earlier to do our own things. We should really try and find them after lunch. Thank you for the offer though."

"Oh your welcome. I was just looking for a way to repay you for your kindness. I understand that you have to find your friends, this is a rather large city."

The three then ate their meals in mostly silence. The only exception was the noise coming from Nick and Samurai as they were eating. After they finished the meal, the duo got up and began to leave before Nick stopped. "We hate to eat and run, but we don't want our friends to head across the city looking for us." He explained as they left.

"That was one of the best meals I've ever had." Samurai said as they walked out the door.

"I know." Nick agreed. "The last time I had something that good was during the Saffron tournament when Brock cooked for everyone.

"You know what the best part was?" Samurai asked. "It wasn't burnt." He said, answering his own question before running in the direction they had originally come from.

After running for a while they had reached the gym. "Its only 1:00 pm." Nick said, reading the clock.

"Where do you think the others are at?" Samurai asked.

"Probably that beauty salon." Nick said as he walked over to it.

After walking for a while, the duo reached the salon only to see that they were correct. Janigne and Ebony were still inside, talking to the employees there. Instead of heading inside, the duo sat down on a bench. "So, do you have a plan for the gym match?" Samurai asked, trying to pass the time.

"I know I'm using Charmeleon, but after that I really don't know." Nick admitted. "I think maybe Gastly."

"Well, the gym is grass type. So flying, bug, fire and ice type pokemon are all good choices."

Just then, Ebony and Janine finally left the salon. "Have you two been sitting here the whole time?" Janine asked.

"No, we left to go check out the city. We just got back here." Nick said. He then looked at the clock in the store's window and noticed it was already 2:00 pm. "I've got to get going, I'm going to be late." He said as he left for the gym.

"Why is he in a hurry?" Ebony asked Samurai.

"He's got an appointment for 3:00 pm. He just doesn't want to be late. Come on, I'll lead the way. He said, getting off the bench and walking towards the gym.

After walking, the group arrived at the Celadon gym. "Was his appointment a gym battle." Janine said teasingly.

"Ya, he's battling at 3:00 pm." Samurai explained. The group then walked inside, only to see Nick sitting around. Because of this, no one noticed that Ebony's mood had changed from earlier. "Where's the gym leader? Isn't the match starting in a little?"

Nick looked up "Ya, the leader called the gym to let me know they're running late. Whoever it is, should be hear soon."

Just then, someone walked through the doors. "I'm sorry I'm late. I was finishing some paperwork for my perfume." The person said. The person had black hair that went down to her ears and wore a kimono with flowers on it. The person seemed familiar, but Nick couldn't remember why. She then walked over to the group and recognized Nick and Samurai. "Hey, you're the two from the restaurant." Both looked at each other confused. They hadn't seen her at the restaurant. Seeing their confused looks, Erika put her sunglasses on. "Recognize me now." She said teasingly.

"Ya, you're that lady." Was all Nick could say.

"So Erika, you think you're good enough to just go out and eat at restaurants instead of training to become a stronger trainer!" Ebony yelled. "Knowing these two, it was probably a terrible restaurant."

"No, I know that I'll always have to work to grow stronger. But today, I went to have lunch at the Celadon Pasture." Erika replied.

Now Ebony turned towards Nick. "You went to the best restaurant in this city without Janine and myself." She yelled at Nick. "How could you even afford it?"

"Well, the meal was free because I had Paras with me." Samurai answered, but then wished he hadn't.

"Not only is it the best restaurant, but you're meal was free." She said. "Didn't you think to come and get us."

"There wasn't any time." The duo said.

Erika smirked. "Ebony, if I didn't know better, I would have thought you were jealous that I ate at a fancy restaurant with your friends."

Nick watched as the two were going at it. _What has gotten into these two. Erika seems like a completely different person since Ebony spoke._ He thought to himself. "I hate to interrupt, but I do have a gym match scheduled."

Erika turned around and faced Nick. "Oh that's right. I'm very sorry for forgetting. Now, who will your partner be?"

"Partner?" Nick repeated.

"Yes. You see, I spent a week giving a lecture in the Hoenn region. While there, I was introduced to double battles. It is where two trainers team up and battle two trainers. Since I returned to Kanto, every Tuesday has been double battles at the gym." She explained.

"I think I understand. Um, I guess my partner will be," he started before pausing to think. He looked at his three friends and was about to answer when he was cut off.

"I'm his partner." Ebony demanded. "This way, we can get this battle over with quickly so I can go eat for free at the Celadon Pasture." She said while glaring at Nick.

"Hey, it isn't our fault you two spent so long in that salon. Plus, who says you're my partner. I should pick who I want to battle with." Nick fought back.

Erika then laughed at the scene before her. "What's so funny?" Ebony asked.

"Oh nothing, I think its cute how you're the one who runs things in your relationship."

"My relationship?" Ebony replied.

"Ya, you know, you and Nick. You two make a good couple." Erika told the duo.

The two blushed at this, Ebony more than Nick. "What are you talking about. Nick and I aren't in a relationship." Ebony tried explaining.

"Keep denying it. You two argue like a married couple. Plus, unless you get sunburns indoors, your face is bright red." Erika said, egging her on.

"You think you know everything don't you. Well, you don't." Ebony said.

"Okay, let's just get this gym match going. You obviously haven't listened to my advice the last time you lost here." Erika said, leading everyone to the battlefield. The group walked through the doors to the battlefield and noticed that the field was just dirt. The surrounding area was filled with plants and flowers, just like the rest of the building. "The rules are simple. You each get one pokemon, I'll use two. Once both pokemon on one side are defeated, the battle is over.

"Hey Samurai," Janine began as she sat on a bench. "What advice do you think Erika gave to Ebony that got her this upset?"

"I have no idea." He responded. "Part of me wants to find out, and the other says don't ask. It isn't worth her attacking me." He said laughing

"Ready?" Erika asked, but not waiting for anyone to answer. "Weepinbell, Gloom." She said, tossing two pokeballs.

"You won't stop me this time. Charmeleon." Ebony said tossing her pokeball. "Nick, don't choose something weak. I can beat her by myself, but I don't want to be slowed down.

Nick just stared in disbelief. "This is my gym match. Who do you think you are telling me who to use." He said, growing upset at Ebony. "Beedrill, I choose you." He said tossing it's pokeball.

"You think they have any chance beating Erika, when all they've done is fight each other?" Samurai asked.

"If they learn to work together I don't see why they couldn't win. Besides, both Beedrill and Charmeleon are strong." Janine stated.

"The match between Nick and Ebony from Pallet Town and Lady Erika will now begin." The referee said.

* * *

 **Team:**

 **Nick- 4 badges:**

 **Eevee- swift, quick attack, dig, shadow ball**

 **Beedrill- poison sting, fury attack, twinneedle, hyper beam**

 **Kingler- water gun, crabhammer, stomp, mud shot**

 **Chameleon- flamethrower, ember, dragon rage, metal claw**

 **Gastly- night shade, mean look, hypnosis**

 **Hitmonchan- mach punch, agility, comet punch**

 **At Oak's:**

 **Shellder**

* * *

 **Samurai- league exam badge:**

 **Pinsir- x-scissor, bulldoze, harden, revenge**

 **Venonat- supersonic, tackle, foresight**

 **Paras- energy ball, stun spore, fury cutter, slash**

 **At home:**

 **Butterfree- aerial ace, sleep powder**

* * *

 **Ebony- ? Badges:**

 **Chameleon- fire spin**

 **Meowth- thunderbolt, fury swipes**

 **Magneton- electro ball, thunder wave**

 **Seel**

* * *

 **Janine- league exam badge:**

 **Venonat- psybeam**

 **Zubat**

 **Grimer**


	27. Flower Power!

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Pokemon.**

Character thoughts are italicized

 **A/N: I'd like to say thank you to everyone who has read, reviewed, favorite or followed this story. I am surprised that this is almost at 1400 views. As a thank you, I'll let you all know something. Team changes are coming. Thank you once again and enjoy the chapter.**

* * *

"Gloom, Weepinbell use razor leaf!" Erika called out, both pokemon launched leaves from their bodies. The leaves seemed sharp and powerful, as if they could cut through anything. The two attacks circled around each other, creating a cyclone of leaves.

"Beedrill, use your speed to dodge the razor leaf attack. Once you're close enough, use twinneedle." Beedrill charged towards the two pokemon, it's quickness being used to it's advantage as none of the leaves could touch it. It was about to get close enough to strike when the attack was interrupted.

"Charmeleon, use fire spin to get rid of those leaves." Charmeleon fired a vortex of flames, engulfing the cyclone of razor leafs. Unfortunately, Beedrill was inside the cyclone when Ebony attacked.

"Beedrill, get out of their." Nick called out to his pokemon, he waited for Beedrill to fly out but it didn't appear. The front of the cyclone was now covered in flames. Just when Nick was about to give up hope, Beedrill flew through the flames to escape. "What are you thinking. You see Beedrill in there and yet you try and roast it alive." Nick yelled at Ebony.

"If your pokemon was faster, then you wouldn't have worried. Besides, my Charmeleon just got rid of our problem." Ebony yelled back, thinking Nick was wrong.

"You two will never win if you can't get on the same page. Weepinbell use slam on Charmeleon." The grass type charged forward, trying to grab Charmeleon.

"Charmeleon, jump to dodge." The fire type jumped into the sky, doding Weepinbell and causing it to crash into the ground. "Now, use rock slide." Ebony said. Charmeleon began having rocks appear from thin air and was ready to strike.

"Don't get overconfident Ebony, don't forget I still have a second pokemon. Gloom, use seed bomb." Gloom started launching a barrage of explosive seeds from it's mouth. On contact, the rocks were destroyed and Charmeleon was hit. The force of the hit caused Charmeleon to land next to Weepinbell.

"Nick!" Ebony yelled at her partner. "Where was Beedrill to help cover my Charmeleon!"

"Jee, I don't know. Maybe trying to recover from the fire spin you trapped it in." Nick fought back.

"Listen, I understand all new relationships have some rocky moments but you should pay attention to the battle more often." Erika teased. "Weepinbell use sunny day." The brightness and the temperature of the room increased.

"How many times do I have to tell you? We are not a couple!" Ebony yelled, her face red from embarrassment. "Charmeleon, get up." Charmeleon did as it was told and stood up.

"Beedrill, try and get up." Nick said, he had seen this combination before and knew what attack was coming. "Ebony, there is no way we can take this head on, we have to dodge if we want to win."

"As if, my Charmeleon is strong enough to win on it's own."

"Gloom, use solarbeam." The pokemon charged up energy from the sunlight until it was ready to attack. The grass type launched the beam of energy at it's opponents. At that moment, Beedrill tried to get up and fly away but it was still too hurt from the fire spin.

"Charmeleon, show them your true strength. Use overheat." Charmeleon opened it's mouth, firing a colossal vortex of fire. The size of it was larger than both flamethrower and fire spin. It actually rivaled the solarbeam in size and strength as it seemed even. "See, anything you attack me with, I can defend myself with an even stronger attack." She gloated, but that was when the solarbeam began to overpower Charmeleon. The two attacks exploded, sending Beedrill flying and knocking it out.

"Weepinbell, use slam while they're distracted." Weepinbell flew from behind the smoke cloud, heading straight for Charmeleon.

"Stop it with fire spin." The fire spin was smaller than before and Weepinbell managed to get through it before crushing Charmeleon against the ground, knocking it out."

"Both Beedrill and Charmeleon are unable to battle, the winner is Lady Erika." The referee said.

Erika walked over to Ebony. "Do you know why you lost here today. Its because you couldn't work together with your partner. You obviously haven't listened to my advice."

Ebony grew upset, folding her arms against her chest. "Your advice isn't as great as you make it out to be. There's nothing wrong with the way I battle!"

"Really? Did you know that when you use overheat it weakens your pokemon, making the rest of their attacks weaker." Erika stated. "Also, in a double battle, you need to be in sync with your partner. This battle isn't just about you, while targeting me you also attacked your partner's pokemon. If you want, rechallenge the gym when you're ready." She said before walking away.

The group left the gym now with two of them upset following the battle. "You know, if you actually tried to battle instead of sitting around we might have won." Ebony said.

Nick was already upset and it was taking everything he had not to blow up at her. "Maybe if my partner didn't try burning my pokemon to death, I might of been able to help."

"If you didn't get in my way, then you wouldn't have been hit by my attack."

"You're unbelievable, do you know that. Not everyone is going to agree with how you train your pokemon. I know that, just look at Zach and myself but I don't let them get under my skin." Nick said.

"Ya, but she has done nothing but get under my skin since I first arrived here by myself." She stated

"So, you have been here before." Samurai said. "It seemed like you were familiar with the gym leader, almost like you hated her."

"I challenged her once before. With the help of my pokemon, I managed to get her down to just Gloom. Unfortunately Gloom was able to defeat all of my pokemon. Following the match, Erika told me 'to practice controlling my emotions and to create a better style of battling.' According to her, I waste too much energy on useless attacks and I rush into situations without thinking things through." She explained. "What she doesn't understand, is that I managed to win seven badges battling like that."

"Wait, you already have seven badges? How is that possible, we've barely seen you battle at." Janine said, shocked like the others.

"Plus," Nick added. "You only have four pokemon if you count Seel."

"Well, when I was traveling alone, I moved at a fast pace. This allowed me to get to each city quickly. About my pokemon, I sent a few of them back to Professor Oak's. That way, I'd have a few surprises at the league." She said.

"I see, so the real reason you traveled with us was to watch others battle and see if you could pick any tips up. Right?" Samurai said, thinking he figured everything out.

"Actually, I really was just bored. I figured you two would be interesting since Zach would never let me travel with him and Nate can be a scatter brain due to his laid back attitude." She explained. "I know that I can beat this gym, but now I'm not so sure. I've already lost twice here, and if I can't fight without getting upset at Erika I might as well quit trying to get into the league." She said, depressed.

Nick was now annoyed. "What happened to the trainer that told me 'someone will always try and knock you down. The good trainers know how to get back up. Everyone is going to have a battle where they doubt themselves, but if you really want to get better, put it behind you and move on.' You need to remember, you can't always win. But even when you lose, you just have to put it behind you and move on." He said, getting her attention.

Ebony listened to the words as they left Nick's mouth. She thought back to that night in Saffron when she told Nick those very words. "You're right. I forgot about my own advise, but I won't forget it ever again." She said as a smile formed across her face. "Thank you, all of you. Tomorrow I'll beat Erika."

The next day, the group arrived back at the gym. "Erika, I'm back for a rematch." Ebony yelled.

Walking around the corner was Erika dressed exactly the same, only this kimono was blue and had pictures of pokeballs on it. "Alright, I honestly didn't expect you to return so soon. The battle will be a three-on-three match."

"No." Ebony said. "This is a rematch from yesterday. It'll be a double battle."

"Ah I see, you just want to battle alongside your boyfriend." Erika said, hoping to upset Ebony.

Nothing happened, no outburst, no blushing, just a plain Ebony. "No, I messed up his match yesterday and I just want to give him a chance to battle as well." She said, smirking at the gym leader.

"Very well, the rules shall be exactly like yesterday." She said as she led them to the battlefield with a smile. _Looks like she has learned something after all. She has some pretty good friends._ She thought while opening the door. The three trainers walked to their respective sides, Ebony and Nick on one side and Erika on the other. "Weepinbell, Gloom." She said, tossing the two pokeballs. The two pokemon appeared, ready to battle once again.

"If you're using the same two, so are we. Charmeleon." Ebony said, tossing the pokeball. The fire type appeared, ready to win at the gym on it's third try.

"Alright, Beedrill I choose you." Nick said, tossing the pokeball. Beedrill appeared in front of Nick, waiting for the battle to begin.

"Gloom, Weepinbell, double razor leaf." Erika called, as her two pokemon both launched their razor leaf attacks. The two attacks combined together, to recreate the cyclone from yesterday only this one was larger.

Beedrill was about to charge in like last time, only to hear Nick yelling. "Beedrill, stay back. There's no need to rush in." He then looked to Ebony. "I'll leave this to you."

"Charmeleon, fire spin." Charmeleon fired the flame vortex from it's mouth, engulfing the leaves in flames. The grass type attack was immediately stopped. "It doesn't matter how big you make it. My fire type attacks will burn it to a crisp."

"Beedrill, use twinneedle." Beedrill flew in at lightning speed, so fast it was nearly impossible to see it. The bug pokemon raised it's stingers as they stabbed into Weepinbell. "Alright, a direct hit."

"Your teamwork has gotten better, but can it defeat my ultimate combination?" She asked. "Weepinbell use sunny day." The room's heat intensified as sunny day was activated. "Now Gloom, solarbeam." The grass type began to charge up energy as it was preparing to launch it's attack. Once it collected enough energy, Gloom fired the beam of light at the two opponents.

"Okay Charmeleon, we'll use overheat to counter." Ebony said, hoping to stop the attack.

"No!" Nick told his partners, shocking them. "If you use overheat, it'll weaken your other attacks. Beedrill will block the attack, just watch out for any surprises." He said, receiving a nod from Ebony. "Beedrill, use hyper beam." Beedrill charged up energy before firing it's strongest attack. The two beams collided, neither side able to overpower the other. The two attacks finally gave out on each other, exploding and creating a cloud of smoke that covered the field.

"Weepinbell, use slam." Weepinbell appeared from behind the smoke, heading straight for Beedrill. "Using hyper beam is risky. After launching it, your pokemon needs to rest. During that time, you're open to attacks."

"Oh no you don't. Charmeleon, use protect." Charmeleon jumped between Beedrill and Weepinbell as barrier formed around Charmeleon, causing Weepinbell to bounce off of it.

"I don't need to worry about the recharge, as I trust my partner to help cover my back." He said.

"Their teamwork has improved since yesterday." Janine stated.

"Ya, you'd think they were used to this kind of battling if you didn't know them." Samurai said, agreeing with his friend.

"Don't get overconfident, you're not the only one who has a partner." Erika said as Gloom appeared behind Beedrill. "Seed bomb." Gloom fired off the seeds which made contact with both Beedrill and Charmeleon. On contact, the seeds exploded causing decent damage to the two pokemon.

Nick and Ebony watched as their two pokemon got back up, overcoming their fatigue. "You won't beat us that easily. Beedrill, twinneedle." Beedrill charged towards the two pokemon, trying to lure them into a trap. Beedrill targeted Gloom as it was closer, hoping that Weepinbell would come to help it.

"Weepinbell, stop it with slam." The second grass type charged towards Beedrill, trying to stop it from landing an attack.

"Got you now. Okay Ebony, now." Nick yelled, seeing his plan working.

"Charmeleon, overheat!" Ebony yelled, Charmeleon fired it's strongest attack at the pokemon. Thanks to the active sunny day, the attack was strengthened even more than usual, causing it to be gigantic in size. The vortex engulfed the three pokemon, knocking them all out.

Silence filled the gym as everyone looked on to see that only Charmeleon was left standing. "They did it." Samurai said. "They actually pulled it off."

Erika recalled her two pokemon and walked over towards Nick and Ebony. "Congratulations you two. You have both defeated me and have won a rainbow badge." She said, handing both trainers a rainbow colored, circular badge. "That was some strategy at the end, using Beedrill to draw me into attacking. You then used one attack to defeat both of my pokemon."

Both trainers took their badges, then silence filled the gym again as no one knew what to say. Finally, Ebony broke the silence. "Erika, if its alright with you, I'd like to study under you. I'd like to be able to handle my emotions better. I see now that you were testing me, getting me upset to show me how careless I can be."

This caught the others by surprise. "Wait, if you stay here then you can't travel with us anymore." Nick said, pointing out the obvious.

"I know, but seeing how calm you stayed during the battle, the ideas you came up with. It got me thinking. I need to train, become stronger for the league. Otherwise I'll never beat you." She said while looking at Nick.

"I understand exactly where you're coming from. The league will feature many strong trainers. If you can't battle at your best there, both mentally and physically, you'll never win." Samurai said.

Everyone looked to Erika. "I'll train you on one condition. You lighten up a little. Your way too stressed out, it isn't good for you." Erika said, smiling. "I don't know if I can actually teach you anything at all. You already seem to have a good understanding."

"I need someone to point out my weaknesses as well. I know my battling style has flaws in it, but if I train with someone who knows how to beat it, it can only help me." Ebony said, pleading now.

"Alright, in the morning, you're to practice your breathing. This will help with keeping yourself calm. Then, during the afternoon you'll battle with me or watch my gym battles. If you are watching my battles, watch the way I counter my opponents." Erika said, describing her training.

"Thank you, I'll follow your directions." Ebony said.

The group now headed for the exit. Once they reached they turned around to see Ebony and Erika. "You better grow stronger. I want to have a good battle with you at the league." Nick said.

"I will, and then when we battle I'll beat you." Ebony said.

"See you at the league." Samurai said, waving bye.

"Good luck with your training." Janine added as she waved goodbye as well.

The group of now three continued on, ready to head off to the next gym.

* * *

 **Reviews:**

 **Martyn: I don't understand why you want chapters like this. I might do a one-shot for you when I'm finished, but don't get your hopes up.**

 **Tigerstar13: Thanks for reading. Honestly, expect one to two more captures with one evolution before the league. But, things are not set in stone because I say it now, just look at what happened in this chapter.**

 **Team:**

 **Nick- 5 badges:**

 **Eevee- swift, quick attack, dig, shadow ball**

 **Beedrill- poison sting, fury attack, twinneedle, hyper beam**

 **Kingler- water gun, crabhammer, stomp, mud shot**

 **Chameleon- flamethrower, ember, dragon rage, metal claw**

 **Gastly- night shade, mean look, hypnosis**

 **Hitmonchan- mach punch, agility, comet punch**

 **At Oak's:**

 **Shellder**

* * *

 **Samurai- league exam badge:**

 **Pinsir- x-scissor, bulldoze, harden, revenge**

 **Venonat- supersonic, tackle, foresight**

 **Paras- energy ball, stun spore, fury cutter, slash**

 **At home:**

 **Butterfree- aerial ace, sleep powder**

* * *

 **Janine- league exam badge:**

 **Venonat- psybeam**

 **Zubat**

 **Grimer**


	28. Festival of The Paras

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Pokemon.**

Character thoughts are italicized

* * *

Having won his fifth gym badge, Nick and the others continued on their way to Saffron City when they arrived at a small town. The group noticed a commotion going on and investigated, only to be surprised by what they found. Everywhere there was something related to Paras. Pictures of the pokemon filled the windows of buildings, people were dressed up as Paras, Paras even roamed the streets. In the middle of the town was the largest mushroom any of them had ever seen.

"What is this place?" Samurai asked, kind of freaked out by everything.

"I don't know." Janine responded. "Why don't we ask someone?" She said while tapping someone's shoulder. "Excuse me, but can you tell us what is going on around here."

The man laughed. "You mean you've never heard of The Festival of The Paras? Its only Tochuka Town's most important festival."

The three friends looked at each still confused. "We're not from around here." Nick explained, hoping for a better explanation.

"Oh, well we don't get many travelers. You guys chose the right time to show up." The man began. "Every year we hold a festival in honor of the man who founded our village. In fact, rumor has it that the mushroom in the center of town belonged to his Paras. Our village uses the spores from the mushrooms on the backs of Paras to create medicine. Only the spores from the strongest are chosen, and to decide who the strongest is we hold a tournament." He said, answering their question. "Please enjoy your time here." He said before leaving.

"So this whole thing is for Paras. While we're here, you should let your Paras have some fun." Janine told Samurai.

"You're right, if the festival is for the Paras, mine should have fun as well." He said, tossing a pokeball. As the pokeball opened, Paras appeared in front of Samurai. The bug and grass type immediately ran behind Samurai, scared by it's surroundings. "Hey, relax. This whole town is throwing a festival for all the Paras here." Paras moved slowly from behind Samurai, before becoming comfortable.

"Hey, he might not be a Paras but Eevee will enjoy this festival." Nick said, tossing a pokeball into the air. Eevee appeared on the ground before climbing up Nick and sitting on his head. "Knock it off, you know I can't see when you do that." He said, trying to get Eevee off of his head.

"I'm not being left out." Janine said, tossing a pokeball. Venonat appeared from the pokeball, energetic and ready to have fun.

The three trainers continued walking through the city as they checked out all of the booths. Some sold actual food like ice cream and burgers, while others sold food that pokemon like Paras loved. Some vendors were selling medicine created by the spores from a Paras. Everyone of the vendors were trying to get them to buy from them.

"They sure are pushy when they see customers." Nick said, laughing at the situation they just walked through.

"Tell me about it. I had at least six of them trying to sell me mushrooms, saying 'these are the nicest mushrooms you could ever buy. The spores are fresh so the medicine will be strong.'" Janine said, continuing to walk forward. "I thought we'd never make it through there."

"Oh it wasn't that bad." Samurai said, before licking an ice cream cone. "They gave Paras some free food."

"That's because the festival is for the Paras!" Nick yelled. "They get everything for free!" He yelled before walking into someone. "Oh, I'm sorry for walking into you. I wasn't watching where I was going." He explained.

"Oh, its fine. I was just talking to my Paras. Getting him pumped up for the tournament." The man said before noticing Samurai's Paras. "Hey! If you have a Paras, you should enter as well. Registration is at the pokemon center."

Samurai looked at Paras. "So, how about it. You want to enter?" Paras didn't say anything, it just sat there with a blank stare on it's face. "I'll take it as a yes since you never told me you didn't want to."

The group then walked over to the Pokemon Center. They entered in, only to see it deserted. "Hello! Nurse Joy, are you in here!" Nick yelled as someone ran around the corner.

"Yes I'm here." Nurse Joy said between breathes of air. "I'm moving some equipment over to where the tournament of Paras is being held, so I'm in and out of the building"

"Well, I was wondering if I could still register." Samurai said.

"Its your lucky, the registration papers are still here. Fill this paperwork out and then bring it back to me, down near the giant mushroom." Nurse Joy explained as she started to leave.

"Nurse Joy." Nick said, getting her attention. "Is it all right if I make a quick call?" He asked.

"Of course, the Center is still open and everything in here is usable." She said. "Except for the machines in the back, since I'm the only one who knows how to use them." She added.

"Thank you." He said, heading over to the computer. "Okay, first is Professor Oak." He input the professor's information and waited for him to answer. After a few rings he picked up.

"Hello?" He asked, having not seen the screen yet. "Ah, its you Nick. I haven't heard from you in a while. So, how is everything going for you."

"Its going great professor. I've caught many pokemon, and have five badges right now." Nick said, trying not to sound too proud.

"Wow, five badges, that's it." The professor said, sounding disappointed. "Ebony and Zach both have eight, and last time I heard from Nate he had seven."

"Well, I'm not rushing through my journey. Plus, I had to wait over a week for my match in Cerulean City." Nick said, defending himself.

"Oh, don't take it the wrong way. I'm glad you're enjoying yourself. I had always pictured you being right with Zach when it came to who had the most badges. So, have you caught anymore pokemon?" Oak asked, changing the subject.

"Before I show you everyone, how's Shellder doing?"

"Shellder is doing just fine. It spends most of it's days outside in the water. Besides that, it doesn't really do much else." Oak explained.

"Well, as long as Shellder is fine, but do you mind transferring it over to my parents?" Nick asked.

"Oh, not at all. I understand your parents do a wonderful job raising pokemon thanks to their business. I'll send Shellder over the first chance I have."

"Thank you professor. Now as promised." He said, raising five pokeballs and opening them. Out came Beedrill, Kingler, Charmeleon, Gastly and Hitmonchan.

"Well, you have yourself a pretty diverse team. You have many different types with you." Oak said, keeping an interest in Beedrill. "I never knew your Beedrill was a female."

"What are you talking about, I didn't know that either." Nick answered

"Well, look at the way Beedrill is. It's body language is telling me female. I have a question to ask you. Do you mind if I study Beedrill for a while. You see, right now is the Beedrill mating season. I've studied many male Beedrill during this time, but never a female."

"Well, I guess so. If it helps your research." Nick replied before facing Beedrill. "You understand. Professor Oak is going to need your help for a while. Be on your best behavior for him." Nick said before recalling her to it's pokeball. He then placed the pokeball onto the transfer pad and watched as the pokeball disappeared on his end and reappeared next to Oak.

"Beedrill has reached me safe and sound." He said, showing the pokeball. "When I'm finished with my research, I'll transfer her to your parents. I've got to get going now. Good luck on your last three badges." The screen went black as the professor hung up.

Samurai and Janine then walked over, seeing that the conversation was over. "So, he needed Beedrill for research?" Samurai asked, even though he knew that the answer was yes.

"Ya." Nick said. "But, he told me he'd transfer her to my parents once he was finished."

"Why your parents?" Both Janine and Samurai asked.

"Well, nows a good time as ever to tell you guys." He began. "My family runs a day care center in Pallet Town. It used to be outside of Vermilion City when my grandparents ran it. When they retired, they gave the business to my parents, who moved it to Pallet Town as well as our family. Unfortunately, most people have Oak take care of their pokemon in Pallet Town. So they made a deal, my parents would help Oak out with taking care of the pokemon around his lab. Thanks to their background in day care, this made everyone's jobs much easier and thus a new partnership was born. I want my parents taking care of my pokemon because I feel they could give them more attention at my house with them, then at the lab with all the other pokemon." He finished.

"So, that's why you know so much about pokemon." Samurai said.

"Nope, my parents didn't teach me much. I learned it all from my books and grandparents." He explained.

"I never would have thought that your family ran a day care center." Janine added, surprised by this news. "What are their jobs like?"

"Well, first they wake up in the morning and let their pokemon have some exercise. They don't have many. My father owns a pidgeotto and a growlithe and my mother owns a bellsprout. They then head over to Oak's lab where they make sure every pokemon is fed, bathed and gets exercise. They then return home and repeat the same thing the next day." Nick explained.

"Wow, it sounds like hard work. How do they keep track of everyone?" Janine now asked, she was full of questions.

"They use their pokemon to help them. Growlithe keeps an eye on them and chases any runners. Pidgeotto watches from the sky and Bellsprout uses it's vines to grab any runners." Nick explained. "I'd love to answer more questions, but we have to go get Samurai over to the tournament."

The group walked down to the giant mushroom at the center of town, and handed over Samurai's paperwork only to find out that there was only eight participants this year. "Well, I'll see you guys after the tournament." Samurai said, walking away with Paras.

"Just do your best." Janine yelled to him. "It doesn't matter if you two win or not."

"Don't push Paras too hard." Nick added. He then sat down on the bleachers with Janine. "So, Samurai is in the third match."

"Ya, we have some time until he battles." Janine said. "So, until then, tell me more about the day care. I've never seen one before."

Nick just sighed to himself, knowing that there wasn't anything else he could talk about.

Elsewhere, Samurai watched the two matches before him. Studying the way they attacked and defend, trying to find weaknesses. It was then his turn to battle. He sent Paras out, and the bug and grass type was ready to battle. "Paras, start off with energy ball." Paras charged up the green ball of energy and launched it at it's opponent.

"Paras, counter with x-scissor." The other trainer called out. He had a red shirt and blue shorts along with a crew cut, practically shaving all his hair off. The Paras raised it's claws as it prepared to stop the attack. It's claws glowed light green as it sliced through the green ball. "Perfect, now use seed bomb." Paras began firing seeds at Samurai's Paras, with every seed exploding on contact.

"Paras, are you alright!" Samurai yelled to his Paras, who was standing up after the last attack. "Okay, use slash." Paras charged towards its opponent, with speed not seen from other Paras. It dashed across the field and landed a hit on the other Paras. The strength of slash sent the opponent backwards. "Now, energy ball." Paras launched the ball of energy at the opposing Paras, slaming into it and pushing him into the wall. The force of the attack knocked Paras out.

"Samurai and his Paras are the winners. They will advance onto the next round." The referee said, as a bright light filled the area.

Samurai looked over to Paras and saw that it was coming from it. "Paras.." he said, watching the evolution right before his eyes. The mushrooms on it's back grew into one giant mushroom while the rest of the body grew in size as well. The light finally stopped and in Paras' place stood a Parasect. Samurai ran over to his newly evolved pokemon, embracing it only to accidentally breathing in a few spores. The spores caused him to fall asleep.

"Looks like we have to wake him." Nick said, reaching into his bag and pulling out some medicine. "Come on, time to wake up." He said, spraying the medicine on Samurai's face. The bug type trainer awoke right on the spot, only to see the referee standing before him.

"I'm sorry to inform you, but, since your Paras is now a Parasect, you are disqualified from the tournament."

"What! But why, we haven't done anything wrong." Samurai said.

"We understand, its just, this is a tournament for Paras. Since your Paras is a Parasect, it would go against our years of tradition." The referee said.

Samurai listened to the information given to him, and understood. "I understand, Parasect return." He said, recalling his pokemon. He then turned to Nick and Janine. "Well, ready to get going?" He asked as he started running out of the town.

Nick and Janine chased after their friend, trying to catch up to him as they continued onto Saffron City.

* * *

 **Team:**

 **Nick- 5 badges:**

 **Eevee- swift, quick attack, dig, shadow ball**

 **Kingler- water gun, crabhammer, stomp, mud shot**

 **Chameleon- flamethrower, ember, dragon rage, metal claw**

 **Gastly- night shade, mean look, hypnosis**

 **Hitmonchan- mach punch, agility, comet punch**

 **At Oak's:**

 **Beedrill- poison sting, fury attack, twinneedle, hyper beam**

 **Shellder**

* * *

 **Samurai- league exam badge:**

 **Pinsir- x-scissor, bulldoze, harden, revenge**

 **Venonat- supersonic, tackle, foresight**

 **Parasect- energy ball, stun spore, fury cutter, slash**

 **At home:**

 **Butterfree- aerial ace, sleep powder**

* * *

 **Janine- league exam badge:**

 **Venonat- psybeam**

 **Zubat**

 **Grimer**


	29. The Fiery Fox

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Pokemon.**

Character thoughts are italicized

* * *

As the group continues on their way to Saffron City so Nick can earn his sixth badge, they decide to stop for the day on route 7. Using all the time he has, Nick is continuing his training by having Samurai and Janine attack him at the same time.

"Venonat, use signal beam." Samurai called out. A light blue ball of energy started forming between Venonat's antenna before being fired at Gastly.

"Quick, dodge and then counter with night shade." Nick told Gastly. The ghost type spun to it's left, managing to dodge the attack. Gastly then fired it's own beam of energy from it's eyes at Venonat. The beam was about to land a direct hit, when it hit something new. Nick watched as sludge was thrown at them.

"Don't tell me you forgot about us." Janine said as she came from behind a tree while Grimer seemed to grow up out of the ground. "Continue using sludge bomb." Grimer continued to shoot balls of sludge at Gastly, causing the ghost to be on the defensive.

"Venonat, help Grimer out and use signal beam." Venonat launched the beam attack at Gastly, giving him a harder time now that two attacks were coming towards it. "If its too hard, we can back off a little." He gloated.

"Too hard, try too easy." Nick said as Gastly vanished into the ground, only to appear behind it's two opponents. "Use dark pulse." Black and purple circles shot from Gastly's eyes, combining together before turning into a beam that hit the two pokemon. The strength of the hit caused both pokemon to be knocked out. "See, too easy." He said, joking with them.

"I think we should start getting lunch ready before it gets any later." Samurai said, returning Venonat to it's pokeball.

"Ya, I'd have to agree, mainly because its Nick's turn to cook and we all know how that turns." Janine told everyone.

"Hey, my cooking is getting better." Nick argued.

"Ya I can tell, it only took you two tries to make eggs this morning. To top it off, only half of the toast was burnt." She teased playfully.

Nick walked over to their bags and set up the cooking equipment. "If they want a great meal, I'll show them a great meal." Nick said to himself as he tossed his pokeballs into the air. Out came his five pokemon on hand. Each one was doing their own thing. Eevee immediately climbed on Nick, Charmeleon flexed his right arm, Kingler and Gastly were fooling around and Hitmonchan was standing there silently. "Okay, we need to cook a meal today." Nick told his pokemon, only to receive blank stares. "Okay, I need to cook today. Only problem, I can't cook. So, I need your help." He said while getting everything together. "First thing, Kingler use your water gun to fill the pot with water. Once its filled, Charmeleon I need you to keep that water boiling. While they take care of the water, Hitmonchan and myself will chop up the ingredients while Eevee and Gastly put them in the pot." Nick explained as he put the pot next to Kingler.

The group of six worked hard to get everything working well, and it seemed like Nick's plan was working. The soup was nearly done, and it wasn't ruined. Just then, Samurai called to Nick. "Nick, what pokemon is this?" He asked while pointing to a Vulpix. "Can you come scan it with your pokedex for us?"

Nick turned around to face his friends. "I'm busy trying to cook. I can come over if you want your lunch ruined." He told them.

"Well, just give us your pokedex and we'll scan it then." Janine said.

Nick was about to argue when he smelt something burning. He quickly tossed the pokedex to Janine. "Just be careful with that." He then turned his attention back to lunch. "Alright, turn down your flame a little and then we'll be finished." Nick told Charmeleon. The fire type lowered its flame as he finished cooking. Nick then recalled every pokemon back to their pokeballs until it was time for lunch.

As Nick was getting the table set, Janine scanned the pokemon with Nick's pokedex learning that it was a Vulpix. "Oh, it is perfect for me." She said. "I just have to catch it."

"Perfect? Its not even a poison type." Samurai said. As the two were arguing, the Vulpix ran off into the woods.

"Ahh, it ran off. I wanted to try and catch it." Janine said, disappointed that the Vulpix was gone.

Just then, Nick called for everyone to come eat as lunch was ready. The two trainers joined their friend at the table and sat down. The group then called all of their pokemon out so they could eat as well. Once every pokemon was out, Nick placed the pokemon food into bowls for the pokemon and then went back to his lunch.

As the group ate, the smell of all the food reached Vulpix who wandered back over to where it came from. Once it found the source it walked up to the others trying to get some food. Janine was the first to notice it. "Hi there, are you hungry?" She asked as she placed a bowl of food down. Vulpix was finished with the food within a few seconds. "Wow, you must have been hungry."

Vulpix wasn't finished, she continued to try and get more food. Eventually she started taking it from the other pokemon. Once they all realized that their food was gone, the pokemon all began fighting amongst themselves. "Hey, why are you guys fighting?" Samurai asked. After no one settled down, he raised his pokeballs and recalled his pokemon. "If you won't stop, then you'll all go back into your pokeballs."

Vulpix, seeing that it wouldn't be getting anymore food from them today, turned back towards the woods and started to leave. "Wait!" Janine yelled. "I was wondering if you'd like to travel with me Vulpix." She said, raising a pokeball. Instead of sticking around, Vulpix ran off into the woods. "Come back." She said, beginning to chase after it.

"Hold on for a minute." Nick said, getting her to stop. "Its your turn to do the dishes. Don't think you can get out of this."

Janine thought quickly. "If you clean the dishes this time, next week whenever you have to cook I'll do it for you." She said, finding a way out of doing dishes.

Nick knew he couldn't get a better deal than the one he had in front of him. "That's fine with me." He said, trying not to sound too excited about not having to cook next week.

Before anything else could be said, Janine was sprinting through the woods. _There's too much brush for me to move fast enough to catch up._ She thought, deciding to climb up a tree and jump from branch to branch. As she was running, she noticed everything looked the same. "Zubat, I need your help." She said, tossing a pokeball. The bat appeared before her. "Zubat, with your sensitive hearing, try and listen for the cry of a Vulpix. Zubat fluttered in place, trying to pinpoint the direction that Vulpix's cry was coming from. Eventually it found the right direction and led Janine.

As Janine was on it's trail, Vulpix found a pile of food sitting around with no one watching it. The fire type walked up to the pile of berries and immediately began to eat all of them. Finished eating, Vulpix started to leave only for it to be attacked by an angry Pidgeotto. Vulpix didn't realize that the berries belonged to Pidgeotto and now the flying type was getting back at her. The bird pokemon flew towards Vulpix a second time. Vulpix tried to stop it with an ember attack, only for Pidgeotto to fly right through it. It flew directly into Vulpix, sending her flying into a tree, before turning around and getting ready to strike with a wing attack. Pidgeotto was charging straight at Vulpix, ready to land the final blow, only to have someone interrupt.

"Zubat, counter with wing attack." Janine told her pokemon. It's wings glowed white as they collided with Pidgeotto. The two pokemon tried overpowering each other, with Zubat putting up a decent struggle before it was overpowered by Pidgeotto. Zubat crashed into the ground, tired from just one hit. "Zubat, return." Janine said as Zubat returned to it's pokeball. Janine then grabbed two pokeballs and tossed them. "Venonat, Grimer, I need your help." The two pokemon appeared by her side ready to stop Pidgeotto. "Venonat, psybeam. Grimer use sludge bomb." The two pokemon launched their attacks only for Pidgeotto to dodge them with ease. Pidgeotto's speed seemed to increase as it was getting difficult to keep track of it's location.

Janine looked around, trying to locate the flying type. Just when she thought she had found it Pidgeotto flew down and struck both of her pokemon with a wing attack. "Oh no!" She yelled out of concern. _Think Janine. You know father taught you better than this. You know how to fight something you can't see._ She thought, closing her eyes. She listened to the sound of Pidgeotto's wings flapping as it flew through the forest. "There!" She yelled as she pointed behind her. "Venonat use psybeam." Venonat did as it was told, firing the psychic attack in the direction that Janine pointed. The attack landed on Pidgeotto and caused the bird pokemon to start falling towards Grimer. "Grimer, use poison jab." Grimer pulled it's arm back, getting ready to strike. Once Pidgeotto got close enough to Grimer, it moved it's arm forward punching the pokemon. The force of the punch caused Pidgeotto to go flying off into the forest.

As this was going on Vulpix watched, thinking why this trainer would help her. She had done nothing but cause trouble, first when they had lunch and then now. Vulpix was about to run when it heard Janine's voice. "Hey, no need to run off. We aren't mad at you for anything, I just have a question to ask." She said as she recalled her pokemon to their pokeballs. "I was wondering if you wanted to travel with me? We're visiting many new places and it'll be a lot of fun." She said, trying to convince it. "Plus, with the way you like to eat, you'll have plenty of food." Janine told her. This made Vulpix interested. Janine pulled out a few pieces of pokemon food and placed them in front of herself. She watched as Vulpix walked closer to her until she was eating the food Janine placed. "So, what do you think?" She asked while putting a pokeball on the ground.

The fire type just looked at the ball and then to Janine, thinking of everything this trainer did today. Without a second thought Vulpix hit the pokeball, allowing itself to be caught. The ball roled back and forth while Janine stood there, waiting for the ball to signal that Vulpix was caught. The ball rocked back and forth three times before coming to a stop. Janine picked the pokeball up, full of excitement and jumped. "I caught Vulpix." She stated to herself. She opened the pokeball to allow Vulpix out of it. "We better start heading back. Knowing those two they're probably battling against each other." She said, sighing. "That seems to be all they do." Janine and her new pokemon walked through the woods and returned to their campsite. When she walked out of the woods she noticed that the tents were only half way set up and that they were battling just like she said. "What is going on here?" She asked the two boys.

As she started talking an attack was coming at Gastly. "Gastly, dodge and use night shade." Nick said as Gastly dodged the energy ball and hit Paras directly. He then turned and noticed that Janine was back. "Hey, how did things go for you, did you catch that Vulpix?" He asked.

"Well, if you weren't so occupied with battling you would have seen Vulpix right next to me." She told Nick, pointing to the fire type next to her. "Howcome the tents aren't set up?" She asked, caring about them a lot.

"Well you see." Samurai began. "We were both arguing over having to set them up. I figured we would battle on who would put them up. I guess that the battle lasted longer than we thought." He said with a sheepish look on his face.

"It would have been easier to just have both of you set them up. You would have finished much sooner." She said, then faced towards Nick. "Shouldn't you be starting to get dinner ready?" She asked.

"Oh no. You made a deal. If I remember correctly it was 'if you clean the dishes this time, I'll cook whenever its your turn for the next week.'"

Janine let out a chuckle. "I did say that, didn't I."

Nick pushed her to their makeshift kitchen. "Enjoy cooking, I hope this deal was worth it." He said, walking away while Janine started to get everything ready.

"Oh, I'm sure it was worth it." She said while looking at Vulpix.

* * *

 **Reviews:**

 **Martyn: okay, I was just wondering.**

 **Blaze Falcon: no need to be sorry. About Parasect and Samurai being disqualified, the truth is that I didn't want to write two more battles between Paras. I always had Paras evolving, only I originally had him evolve after winning the whole thing. I decided against it because: 1 I didn't want Samurai to win every tournament he enters. 2 I got lazy and didn't have it in me to do another couple battles between Paras.**

 **Team:**

 **Nick- 5 badges:**

 **Eevee- swift, quick attack, dig, shadow ball**

 **Kingler- water gun, crabhammer, stomp, mud shot**

 **Chameleon- flamethrower, ember, dragon rage, metal claw**

 **Gastly- night shade, mean look, hypnosis, dark pulse**

 **Hitmonchan- mach punch, agility, comet punch**

 **At Oak's:**

 **Beedrill- poison sting, fury attack, twinneedle, hyper beam**

 **Shellder**

* * *

 **Samurai- league exam badge:**

 **Pinsir- x-scissor, bulldoze, harden, revenge**

 **Venonat- supersonic, tackle, foresight, signal beam**

 **Parasect- energy ball, stun spore, fury cutter, slash**

 **At home:**

 **Butterfree- aerial ace, sleep powder**

* * *

 **Janine- league exam badge:**

 **Venonat- psybeam**

 **Zubat- wing attack**

 **Grimer- sludge bomb**

 **Vulpix- ember**


	30. Gastly vs Kadabra: Psychic Showdown

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Pokemon.**

Character thoughts are italicized.

* * *

"We're finally here." Nick said as they entered Saffron City.

"Ya, it looks exactly the same." Samurai said. "It seems like forever since we were last here."

Janine was confused by Samurai's starment and gave them both a look that showed her confusion. "Oh, that's right," Nick began, seeing her confusion. "You weren't with us before. We've already visited Saffron and participated in a tournament here. We had to return here because the gym leader was out of town the first time." He finished, hoping to ease her confusion.

"Well, that does make sense. I should have known you two probably already visited many towns because of the stories you both have told me about your travels." Janine said, as the group continued walking towards the gym.

They eventually reached the gym. The building from the outside was all white with the roof pointing out in all directions. "You know, no matter how many times I see this building, I will never get used to it." Nick told everyone.

"You can say that again." Samurai replied. "You think they could have created a better design."

"If I didn't know better, I'd think you two were afraid." Janine teased.

"What? I'm not scared, the building is just designed strangely." Samurai said, trying to convince everyone.

"I really don't care. I just want to get my next gym badge." Nick replied as he walked through the doors. Once inside, Nick was surprised to see how busy the gym was. "Are all these people here for a gym battle?"

Noticing the group, a woman dressed in a white robe walked over to them. "Welcome to the Saffron gym. In addition to this building holding gym battles, many people with psychic abilities come here and train under Sabrina. Travelers also come here to have their fortunes read."

"Did you say fortunes." Nick said, sounding skeptical to the whole idea.

"Yes. You see, Sabrina is known as having amazing psychic powers. They're so strong that she can see into the future and read someone's mind." The student explained before leaving.

The group looked around the room. The whole building was bland, just an ordinary room with nothing special about. "Hey, I've got an idea. Why don't we have our fortunes read." Janine offered.

"Ya, the gym isn't going anywhere." Samurai said, using reason for his answer.

Nick just looked at them. "Don't tell me that you two believe in this whole psychic powers stuff, do you?"

Both trainers just looked away. They both wanted their fortunes read, not really caring about the idea behind it. Samurai was about to speak when he was cut off. "So. You don't believe psychic powers truely exist?" A woman asked, she was dressed in dark red dress with black pants while her black hair went down to the middle of her back.

"Well, there is no evidence to back up these so called psychic powers." Nick explained.

"Alright then. Nick, if you and your friends don't mind, would you all follow me to where we read people's fortunes." The woman said, walking down the hall with the others following.

"Hey, did you notice that she knew Nick's name without being told it." Samurai mentioned.

"She just overheard us talking." Nick began. "Like I've been saying, there is no such thing as psychic powers."

"Oh I don't know. I believe they may exist." Janine said, trying to continue but was cut off.

"We're here." The woman announced. "Before the fortune is read, how do you expect to pay?"

"Pay!?" Nick said, repeating her. "I came here for a gym battle, not to pay for a fake fortune."

This caught the woman's attention. "So, you've come here looking to challenge the gym. Alright, the gym is directly down the hall and it is the first door on your right." She said before beginning to leave. "If you manage to win, the gym leader usually gives out a free fortune to you."

"See, I told you these fortunes were fake. They make you pay a huge fee so they can scare you away from wanting it read." He said, walking towards the gym.

"I'm not so sure." Janine remarked. "I just think you're afraid of being wrong. Just look at this place, everyone here has some form of psychic powers."

"Samurai you honestly don't believe any of this, do you?" He asked his friend. Samurai just stood there, not making eye contact with Nick. "I see, well after my gym battle you two will see that these so called psychic powers don't exist."

The group then reached the door and pushed it open. The battlefield was a standard field with columns running along the outer walls holding up the ceiling. "Welcome." A voice said, as a lady walked from behind a column. "My name is Sabrina, we've met before."

"Hey, that's the woman from earlier." Samurai said.

"Yes, I was with you earlier. Now Nick, we shall have our gym battle and I will show you the full extent of my powers." The two trainers walked to their respective sides of the field and got ready. "This will be a three-on-three battle. You will be allowed to switch, but I will not. Once all three pokemon are defeated for one of us, the battle is over." Sabrina said, as she lifted a pokeball with her powers. The pokeball landed on the battlefield and out came a Mr. Mime.

"I'll show you just how fake these powers are. Gastly, I choose you." Nick said as he tossed the pokeball. Gastly appeared in front of Nick, smiling at a chance to battle. "Let's finish this quickly. Use dark pulse." Gastly shot the purple and black circles from it's eyes straight at Mr. Mime.

Sabrina smiled. "A simple attack like that won't beat us, light screen." Mr. Mime placed it's hands in front of his body and formed a giant see through box all around him. The dark pulse collided with the box, only to cause no damage to Mr. Mime. "Now, use mimic." Mr. Mime glowed white for a few seconds before firing a dark pulse attack itself. The attack was fired from Mr. Mime's mouth and caught Nick off guard. The attack hit Gastly directly causing a ton of damage.

"This isn't working, Gastly return." Nick said, recalling Gastly into it's pokeball. "Charmeleon, I choose you." Nick tossed the pokeball as the fire type appeared. "Charmeleon, use flamethrower." Charmeleon opened his mouth and launched the fire attack. The flames shot towards Mr. Mime, only for the light screen box to reappear causing flamethrower to do no damage. "Just as I thought. We won't be able to hurt it until we destroy the box. Charmeleon, charge at Mr. Mime and use brick break." Charmeleon dashed towards the mime pokemon while it's arm began glowing white.

"You really think we'd sit back and let you attack. Use psybeam." Mr. Mime fired the multicolored beams from his eyes and aimed for the charging Charmeleon. The fire type avoided every beam as he jumped over them, rolled under them, and ran around them.

Charmeleon jumped into the air before coming down on Mr. Mime. As Nick expected the light screen box appeared, only this time Charmeleon's arm broke through causing the box to shatter. Charmeleon's arm continued on through the air until it collided with Mr. Mime. The force of the attack sent it flying onto it's back.

"Mr. Mime, use psybeam once more." Sabrina called out as the mime pokemon fired the beam attack from it's eyes.

"Charmeleon, we'll counter with flamethrower." Charmeleon fired the attack from his mouth and watched as the two attacks collided, trying to overpower the other. Eventually flamethrower started to overpower the psybeam and pushed it back into Mr. Mime, followed by the flamethrower. The two attacks were enough to defeat the psychic type.

"You saw through the effect of light screen. I must compliment you on that, but you won't be getting lucky again." Sabrina told him as she tossed a pokeball. Out appeared an Exeggutor. "Use bullet seed." The grass type fired off shots of seeds at Charmeleon.

"Counter with flamethrower." Nick told the fire type. Charmeleon fired it's attack once more, burning all of the fired seeds. "There must be a reason why she'd use a grass type against Charmeleon." He said to himself, unable to understand her decision.

"Continue using bullet seed." Exeggutor continued to fire a continuous stream of seeds at Charmeleon. The fire type however just burned them all to a crisp. _That's right, just keep tiring yourself out. Then when I attack, you won't be able to counter._ She thought to herself. Sabrina watched as Charmeleon was growing tired. "Its time to end this. Use attract." Exeggutor fired hearts from it's eyes, sending them straight at Charmeleon.

"Charmeleon, whatever you do, do not allow those hearts to touch you." He told his pokemon. Unfortunately, Charmeleon was too tired to avoid them and when he tried to dodge he was still hit by them. The fire type was immediately struck with love for it's opponent and couldn't move. "Snap out of it Charmeleon." Nick pleaded with the pokemon, but to no avail.

"Exeggutor, finish this with psychic." Exeggutor's eyes glowed blue as Charmeleon's whole body glowed blue as well. Before anything else could happen Charmeleon was lifted off the ground and was being thrown around like a rag doll. "Finish it, before it can escape." Sabrina said, causing Exeggutor to throw Charmeleon into the ground knocking it out.

"Charmeleon, return." Nick said, recalling the fainted pokemon. "Eevee, I choose you." He tossed the pokeball and Eevee appeared. "Start off with swift." Eevee swung it's tail and created a swarm of stars, all of which were heading towards Exeggutor.

"Counter with bullet seed." Exeggutor fired off the seeds, cancelling out the swift attack. "If that's your best, you're not going to be able to win. Use bullet seed." Exeggutor fired off the seeds once more, this time it was more similar to when they attacked Charmeleon.

"Eevee, counter with swift." Eevee launched the same attack over and over, cancelling out bullet seed every time.

"Hmm, did you already forget about our technique?" Sabrina asked, before continuing. "Use attract." Exeggutor launched the familiar hearts at Eevee.

Unlike Charmeleon who was tired, Eevee was still able to move. "Use dig." Eevee clawed at the ground creating a hole for him to escape into. Once inside, Eevee continued to dig until he was underneath Exeggutor.

"Be prepared. They could attack from anywhere." Sabrina said, trying to calm Exeggutor. Just as she finished speaking Eevee broke through the ground underneath Exeggutor, sending the grass type into the air.

"Perfect timing Eevee, now finish it with shadow ball." Eevee charged up the ghost type move before firing it towards the airborne opponent. The shadow ball collided directly with the falling pokemon, causing Exeggutor to faint.

"You and your pokemon are in sync, being able to think clearly and dodge attract. However, both of the pokemon you've beat are not nearly as strong as my last one." Sabrina said as she tossed her last pokeball, revealing a Kadabra.

"Eevee, start off with shadow ball." Eevee fired off it's attack, the ball was heading straight for Kadabra. "We have them now." Just as the attack was about to land Kadabra disappeared from everyone's sight. "Where did he go?"

"Oh, didn't you know. My bond with Kadabra is so strong we can communicate telepathically. Add that to Kadabra being able to teleport, and you'll never be able to hit us." Sabrina said, as Kadabra appeared behind Eevee and attacked. A multicolored beam shot out of Kadabra's spoon, hitting Eevee in the back.

"Eevee, use swift." Eevee launched the star attack at Kadabra, only to have the psychic type disappear again. This time Kadabra appeared in front of Eevee and hit him in the face with a psybeam attack. The attack was so strong that it knocked Eevee out. "Eevee, return." Nick said, recalling Eevee to it's pokeball. He then grabbed his last pokeball, "Gastly, I choose you." The cloud of gas appeared on the battlefield, waiting for a command. "Use dark pulse." Gastly fired the dark type attack at Kadabra, only for it to disappear. "Perfect. Gastly, start spinning in a circle really fast." The ghost type did as it was told, spinning it's entire body around.

"What is he planning?" Sabrina asked herself. As she said this, Kadabra reappeared in front of Gastly.

"Now, use night shade." The black beams shot all around the field due to Gastly's constant spinning. Even when Kadabra teleported, when he reappeared he was hit by the attack. "Now finish it with dark pulse." Gastly used the same technique, only with dark pulse instead. Kadabra teleported away, only to reappear right in front of the attack. The strength of the attack was enough to cause Kadabra to faint.

"Kadabra, return." Sabrina said as she recalled her pokemon to it's pokeball. "You beat me and my psychic powers. Now, as proof of your victory, I award you the marsh badge."

Nick took the badge and placed it into his case. "Does this mean my friends and I get free fortunes?" He asked jokingly.

"Why of course, I follow through on my deals." She said, leading them down the hallways of the building until they came to the room from before. "One at a time please. Nick first." The two walked into the room where they sat down at a table.

"So, what does my future hold?" He asked, playing along.

"I see you meeting many people, new friends, old friends, adversaries. You'll face many obstacles that you'll have to overcome to complete your goal." She said. "You'll face both good and hard times, but never will you worry too much. That's all I see."

Nick left the room and Samurai then entered and sat down across from Sabrina. "Samurai, I see you conquering challenges you never thought you could. Overcoming the shadow of your brother and creating a name for yourself in the field of bug type research."

Samurai rose from the seat and left. Shortly after, Janine sat down, being the last to go. "I see you facing many challenges in the future. A large choice awaits you, one that can change your whole life. Finally I see a dream of your's coming true." Janine rose and left, leaving Sabrina alone in the room. _The last one, she has feelings for one of her friends. Maybe I should have told her the rest. It'll be more fun if she finds out on her own._ Sabrina thought, before being interrupted.

"I'm sorry Sabrina. Its just, we've received word that a psychic type pokemon is causing problems for a nearby town. They called and asked if you could assist them." The student explained.

"Its no problem at all. Tell them I'm on my way." Sabrina said, while rising and walking out the door. Once outside she saw Nick and the others. "Just the trainers I was looking for. Do you three mind helping me? You see, in a nearby town a psychic pokemon is causing problems. They called me to come help and I was wondering if you three could come with me."

The three looked at each other before agreeing. "Of course we'll help. Just lead the way." Nick said.

* * *

 **Team:**

 **Nick- 6 badges:**

 **Eevee- swift, quick attack, dig, shadow ball**

 **Kingler- water gun, crabhammer, stomp, mud shot**

 **Chameleon- flamethrower, ember, dragon rage, brick break**

 **Gastly- night shade, mean look, hypnosis, dark pulse**

 **Hitmonchan- mach punch, agility, comet punch**

 **At Oak's:**

 **Beedrill- poison sting, fury attack, twinneedle, hyper beam**

 **Shellder**

* * *

 **Samurai- league exam badge:**

 **Pinsir- x-scissor, bulldoze, harden, revenge**

 **Venonat- supersonic, tackle, foresight, signal beam**

 **Parasect- energy ball, stun spore, fury cutter, slash**

 **At home:**

 **Butterfree- aerial ace, sleep powder**

* * *

 **Janine- league exam badge:**

 **Venonat- psybeam**

 **Zubat- wing attack**

 **Grimer- sludge bomb**

 **Vulpix- ember**


	31. Hypno's Hectic Life

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Pokemon**

Character thoughts are italicized

* * *

"Sabrina, how much further do we have to walk?" Nick asked the psychic type gym leader.

"It isn't much further, only a few more minutes at most." Sabrina said. "There it is, Psi Town." She said as she walked up the hill.

"So, what exactly is the problem here, it seems like everything is fine." Samurai said, looking at the town and not noticing anything unusual.

"There have been reports of missing children." She began. "Due to legends, the citizens believe that a Hypno is hypnotizing children and then kidnapping them."

The group walked into the town. It seemed like a normal town, houses lined the streets and Nick noticed a couple schools in the neighbourhood. In the center of the town was the town hall, a large white building that could have been mistaken as a normal house if not for it's sign.

They walked inside the town hall and were immediately introduced to the mayor. "I'm so glad you could come so quickly." He began. "You see, as you know, children have been disappearing without any clues. Then, after last night we found this at the scene of the crime." He said, raising a patch of white hair. "We ran some tests and the results showed that it belongs to a Hypno." He finished.

"So, a Hypno has been kidnapping children and you want me to stop it." Sabrina said, making sure she had everything right. The mayor immediately agreed with the statement. "Alright, it looks like we'll need bait to lure him out." She said while looking at Nick and Samurai.

"Nick, I don't like the look she's giving us." Samurai said

"I know, I think I understand why she wanted our help now." He responded.

Later that night the group was staked out at a playground. Sabrina and Janine were hiding in the bushes while Nick and Samurai were sitting on some swings, out in the open just waiting.

"When is this pokemon going to show up?" Samurai asked, growing impatient.

"This is the last time I ever let anyone talk me into being bait." Nick added, angry at what they were doing.

"Shh!" Janine said, making them stop talking. "Hypno will never show itself if it believes others are waiting for it." Just then they heard a noise come from the bushes on the far side of the playground, out from the bushes appeared Hypno. "Now, don't do anything stupid." She said to the duo.

"Fine, just make sure you stop this thing." He replied, his whole body was shaking, nervous of the Hypno doing something to him. The psychic type walked up to the two boys on the swing and immediately swung it's medallion in front of them, causing them to fall asleep.

"That was it's hypnosis attack. We have to hurry before he gets away." Sabrina explained while raising a pokeball. "Kadabra, help me now."

"Right, Vulpix." Janine said, calling out her pokemon. The two trainers approached the psychic type with their pokemon, ready to fight it. The psychic type was shocked by the trainers and raised it's hands, releasing a bright light that blinded everyone. "What just happened?"

"That was a flash attack. We must have startled it when we attacked. When we couldn't see, Hypno must have taken Nick and Samurai with itself." She said, pointing to the empty swings.

"So, what do we do now?" Janine asked. "We have to go after Hypno and get them back, can your Kadabra teleport us their?"

"Slow down. Even though we could teleport, there is no way to know where he's keeping everyone. We could be teleporting to random locations for all we know. Plus, its dark out and would be hard to see anything at this point." She explained. "We'll wait until sunrise and then head out."

"But, we have no way of tracking it." Janine told Sabrina, sounding defeated.

"We have one way." She said, pointing at a piece of white hair on the ground. "Use your Vulpix to get Hypno's scent and then we can follow that."

The night passed by slowly for Janine, who was too busy worrying about her friends to sleep. "You two better be okay." She whispered to herself as she drifted to sleep.

Elsewhere, Hypno dropped Nick and Samurai off at a small clearing in the woods. The two trainers awoke from their forced slumber to find themselves in the middle of the woods with Hypno and the missing children. "Eevee, I choose you." Nick said as he tossed a pokeball. "Samurai, looks like we're going to need to battle Hypno and free the children."

"Ya, you're right. Pinsir, come on out." Samurai said, tossing a pokeball as well. "Use bulldo-" he began before being interrupted by the children holding him back.

"We won't let you hurt Drowzee." One of the children holding Samurai said. "He's our friend, we all play together."

"I think you're mistaken." Nick tried to explain. "That's a Hypno, not a Drowzee. Maybe your friend is looking for you."

"No." The child argued. "That's Drowzee, we were all playing one day at the park when Drowzee transformed into his new shape. He's the same Drowzee, just older. But our parents wouldn't let us play, so the only way was to play at night."

"Samurai, I think this Hypno is their Drowzee that evolved. Maybe when it became a Hypno the parents grew scared due to the rumors." Nick said, thinking of what might have happened.

"I guess. No one here seems hurt, maybe this whole situation was just a misunderstanding." He said, before facing the children. "You know, your parents are all worried for your safety. You have to come home soon, don't you miss your families?"

"We don't need anyone who turns their backs on our friend." Another child said. "We can't leave him, Drowzee gets lonely."

Nick and Samurai saw just how much these children cared for the Hypno and knew they couldn't force them to leave it. "What if he comes back to town with the rest of us?" Nick asked, trying to please everyone.

"No!" The first child said. "You just want us to leave Drowzee. No one is ever leaving our village of friends. Now, tie these two up." He said as the others tied Nick and Samurai up with rope.

Back at the town Sabrina and Janine were getting ready to leave. "Okay Vulpix, try and pick up the scent of that Hypno." Janine said as she held out the fur. She then turned to her Venonat. "I need you to use your excellent eyesight to look for anyone in the woods while we walk."

The two trainers left the town, following behind the two pokemon. "You know, for their lack of training they seem rather strong." Sabrina stated.

"I may not battle much, but I make sure my pokemon are in top condition. You never know what situation you'll be in." Janine explained. The duo continued on in silence until they reached the edge of the forest. "Vulpix, does the scent continue this way?"

"Vul." The fox pokemon replied, shaking it's head in a yes direction.

"Okay, do your best to lead us in the right direction. Venonat, really keep an eye out for anyone in these woods." Janine said as she climbed up a tree to get a better look and continued to run along them.

"They shouldn't be too far away from the town." Sabrina stated.

"Are you sure?" Janine asked, stopping in her tracks on a tree.

"Yes. Hypno wouldn't want to make long journeys with young children so he would make short trips."

"Well, that's good news." Janine said, her attitude improving. "We'll be able to find the others soon."

"You really are worried for them, you must really care for them." Sabrina said, already knowing the answer but wanting a little fun of her own.

"Well of course I'm worried for my friends, they're like family to me."

"No, I mean you care deeply for one of them specifically." She said with a smirk while stopping in her place.

This caught Janine off guard, who stumbled and nearly fell from her current branch. "Wh-what are you talking about? I ca-care for both of them." She said, trying to hide a slight blush from Sabrina. "Now isn't the time, are you going to move or are you going to just stand there?" She asked while letting out a nervous laugh, trying to change the subject.

"There's no point in denying anything to me, I can read your mind remember." Sabrina said with a grin. "I know you have feelings for the bug trainer, admit them and I'll move."

"Ha ha." She laughed nervously again as her face turned a deep shade of red. "No, you must be mistaken. Come on, we've got to get going." She said, hoping to get Sabrina to move, only for it not to work. Janine finally gave in. "Yes, I do like him. There, are you happy?"

Sabrina began to walk again. "Not really. I thought I would have some fun giving you a hard time like I see others do, but I don't see how people enjoy it. It was a waste of time, your secret is safe with me."

 _That was strange. Sabrina was almost a normal person instead of her psychic powered self._ Janine thought as she ran along the trees, following her pokemon that were running on the ground.

The small group reached a clearing in the woods and rested for a minute while Vulpix continued to track the scent. "Sabrina do you hear something?" Janine asked, having heard noises coming from their left.

"Yes I did. It sounded like children playing." She said as she walked towards it. "This might be the missing children." The two trainers walked slowly towards the bushes and looked through them. On the other side, children were playing with a Hypno in the clearing. "So, we found the children and Hypno, but what about the others?"

"There they are." Janine replied, pointing at the two trainers tied up. "So, what is the plan?"

"We attack, but we must be careful not to give ourselves away." She answered as Kadabra appeared from it's pokeball. "Okay it has it's back to us, attack now. Kadabra use psybeam."

"Venonat use psybeam, Vulpix you use ember." Janine said.

The two trainers watched as the three attacks hit Hypno directly, causing him to drop to his knees in pain. "Excellent, now once more." Sabrina demanded as Kadabra fired another psybeam. The attack hit Hypno once again, who wasn't even trying to fight back.

"Janine ran over and untied Nick and Samurai. "Are you guys alright?"

Nick was the first to respond. "Ya we're fine, but we have the whole situation wrong."

"What are you talking about, Hypno has been keeping everyone hostage here. We saw you two tied up."

"No, he's right." Samurai interrupted. "This Hypno was a wild Drowzee who lived at the playground. One day it evolved into a Hypno and the parents in the town grew afraid. The children decided to run away at night with Hypno and live out here."

"Well if what you two are telling me is correct, we've been attacking an innocent pokemon." Janine said as she turned to Sabrina. "We need to stop. Its been a huge misunderstanding with the town!"

Just then the children jumped onto the four trainers, trying to restrain them. "We told you before, no one is hurting Drowzee."

"No one wants to hurt your friend." Janine tried to tell them. "We only want to bring everyone back home. Your parents are worried about you all."

"We won't listen to anything you have to say until your pokemon are away." The children demanded.

The two trainers recalled their pokemon and stood there in front of the children. "See, no more pokemon. Now will you come back with us?" Sabrina asked, growing impatient.

"No! We aren't leaving Drowzee."

"I would never think to ask you all to leave him. He's coming as well so we can clear up this whole mess." Janine said, crouching down so that she was face to face with the children before smiling.

"Fine. We'll come with you, but those three are to be tied up." A child said, pointing to Nick, Samurai and Sabrina.

"What! No way am I being tied up again." Samurai began to argue. "Do you know how uncomfortable it wa- oww!" He yelled as Janine kicked the back of his leg.

"Knock it off." She whispered to him. "There's no need to get them upset at us, we only need to bring them home and then we can leave."

The three trainers were then tied up while Janine led everyone back to the town. The trip back took no time at all, as they were already nearby. The group walked down to the park where the parents were all waiting. The children immediately ran up to their parents and were embraced by them. However, once they all noticed Hypno, the mood changed as every parent tried to protect their children.

"Stop!" Janine called out. "You don't need to be scared. The children are friends with Hypno, in fact it used to be the Drowzee who lived at this very park." The parents were not convinced. "This Hypno didn't kidnap anyone, they all left on their own so that they could play with him."

This caught the parents' attention just enough for the children to escape the grips of their parents and run up to Hypno. "Drowzee is our friend. If we can't play with him, we'll run away with him."

The parents knew they were beat. "Alright, Hypno can stay." The mayor said. "But, the park is no place for him to live. Instead he will have his very own room at city hall. How does that sound kids, this way he won't be outside stuck in the rain and the cold."

Hypno smiled at this news and ran right up to the mayor, embracing him in a hug.

The mayor faced the four trainers. "Thank you for helping us out. Without your help we never would have fixed this problem. If there is anything I can do for you, just let me know."

"Your welcome, I must be leaving now." Sabrina said as she had Kadabra teleport her back to Saffron City.

"Actually sir," Nick began. "You wouldn't happen to know where the nearest gym is, would you?"

"The nearest gym." The mayor repeated to himself. "I believe that the nearest one is in Vermilion City. Continue heading south and you will reach route six. Follow that path and you should make it to Vermilion City in under three days."

"Thank you." Nick said as the three trainers headed south towards route six.

* * *

 **Team:**

 **Nick- 6 badges:**

 **Eevee- swift, quick attack, dig, shadow ball**

 **Kingler- water gun, crabhammer, stomp, mud shot**

 **Chameleon- flamethrower, ember, dragon rage, brick break**

 **Gastly- night shade, mean look, hypnosis, dark pulse**

 **Hitmonchan- mach punch, agility, comet punch**

 **At Oak's:**

 **Beedrill- poison sting, fury attack, twinneedle, hyper beam**

 **Shellder**

* * *

 **Samurai- league exam badge:**

 **Pinsir- x-scissor, bulldoze, harden, revenge**

 **Venonat- supersonic, tackle, foresight, signal beam**

 **Parasect- energy ball, stun spore, fury cutter, slash**

 **At home:**

 **Butterfree- aerial ace, sleep powder**

* * *

 **Janine- league exam badge:**

 **Venonat- psybeam**

 **Zubat- wing attack**

 **Grimer- sludge bomb**

 **Vulpix- ember**


	32. A Lesson in Poke-care

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Pokemon.**

Character thoughts are italicized.

* * *

"Charmeleon use brick break." Nick called out as Charmeleon charged towards Pinsir. The fire type's right arm glowed brightly as it flew down onto the bug type.

"Pinsir, stand your ground. Use harden to strengthen yourself." Samurai called out to his pokemon. Pinsir's body flashed white as it stiffened up just as Charmeleon hit the bug type. Pinsir didn't seem too affected by the attack as he brushed it off quickly. "Okay, counter with revenge." Pinsir's arm glowed brightly as he swung it towards Charmeleon. Unfortunately for the fire type, it had no time to react and Pinsir landed the attack causing Charmeleon to fly backwards into a tree. The strength of the attack was enough to knock Charmeleon out. "I hope Charmeleon isn't too hurt. I know it was only a training match, but I couldn't help myself and just had to go all out."

Nick walked over to Charmeleon and inspected the pokemon as he helped it sit up. "Charmeleon will be fine. He's been through worse." As Nick said this, the fire type woke up and looked at it's trainer. "Hey Charmeleon. How are you feeling? That was an impressive battle you had, you really are growing stronger."

"Charr." Charmeleon said as he stood up and flexed his right arm. Everyone could see that he was fatigued, but Charmeleon wouldn't show it. "Meleon!" The fire type said as he grabbed Nick's shirt, signaling that he wanted to train more.

"Alright, I get it. You're ready to go." Nick said as he got to his feet. "How about we work on accuracy now. You see those rocks? I want you to fire your flamethrower at them, trying to hit them while dodging oncoming attacks." He explained as he reached for Ghastly, Eevee and Kingler's pokeballs. Just as Nick was about to call out the other pokemon, it started to rain out. "Sorry Charmeleon. It looks like training is done until the rain stops." He said, recalling Charmeleon to it's pokeball.

The rain was starting to really pick up now with lightning and thunder added in as well. "Guys, we really need to get out of this storm." Janine said, she seemed upset to be completely soaked like she was and still be in the rain.

"Ya." Samurai agreed, trying to keep Janine from getting upset at them. From their short travels with Ebony he had seen just how scary a woman could be when they were mad enough. "There should be somewhere nearby for us to wait this storm out at. Nick, did you notice anything when we walked through here earlier today." He said, turning towards the trainer only to see him sprinting down the road. "Where's he going?"

"How would I know." Janine remarked. "Just don't lose sit of him." The two trainers sprinted down the road after their friend, wondering what was going on with him

Nick was sprinting down the road not looking where he was going, almost as if he knew these roads like the back of his hands. _Just a little further. Won't they be surprised to see me._ Nick thought as a smile formed on his face. Nick took a hard left turn and stopped as he stood before a house.

Samurai and Janine had finally caught up to Nick now that he had stopped running. Samurai was about to question him when he noticed the house. It wasn't anything to write home about. The house was an average size, looking big enough to house a family of about five. The outside was white and had a screen porch in the front and a wooden deck extending off of the back. The backyard seemed to stretch for miles as it was the only house nearby. The backyard was empty except for a few sheds.

Nick broke the silence and spoke first. "Come on, lets get out of this rain." He said, entering the screen porch.

Janine immediately grabbed Nick by his backpack. "Nick, you can't just enter someone's house. You of all people should know that."

Nick just stared, confused by the way his friends were acting. It then hit Nick as he realized his mistake. "But guys, I used to live here." He said while entering the screen porch.

The others followed him onto the porch, still confused. "Nick, you told me you live in Pallet Town. How could this be your home then?"

"Well, remember how I said I moved to Pallet Town with my parents when I was younger? Before moving we used to live with my grandparents at their house, and this is their house." He then walked over to the door and knocked on it. Before anyone could say anything Nick spoke again. "Don't make a sound at all. I want to surprise them." He whispered.

They could hear footsteps coming closer to the door now. "Coming!" An elderly voice yelled out from behind the door. They stood there as they heard the door get unlocked and begin to open. "If you're trying to sell something we're not interested." An elderly lady said. She had white hair that was tied into a bun on her head and was in a flower pattern nightgown.

Nick began laughing as the door was completely opened. "Grandma, I haven't seen you in four months and you forget what your grandchild looks like." He said teasingly.

"Nick, what a surprise. Last time I saw you was at your birthday party when you turned ten." She said, hugging her grandson. "Please, come in won't you." She turned and noticed Samurai and Janine standing behind Nick. "Ah, these must be your friends that I've heard about. My daughter does call me every now and then, updating me on your journey."

The group then walked into the house. The inside made the building look much larger than it seemed. Immediately as you walked in there was a staircase that led to the upstairs bedrooms. Downstairs was a living room which contained a reclining chair, a couch and a loveseat. Across from that was a tv sitting on a stand. Down the hall was the dinning room which had a table which could seat what looked like a dozen chairs. Hanging on the walls were pictures of the family. From there, a door led you into the kitchen where there was a stove, sink, a fridge, a smaller table, a pantry and three doors. The first door in the corner led to the bathroom, the door next to the fridge led to the basement and the last door which was immediately on your right when you entered the kitchen led to the deck.

"Sit down, get relaxed. You must all be tired from this storm. I'll make some hot chocolate for everyone so you all can warm up." Nick's grandma said as she walked into the kitchen. The others sat down at the table in the dinning room, trying to warm up.

Elsewhere in the forest two people dressed in black uniforms were watching the house with an interest. "So, that's the famous day-care center. You are certain this is the right place Butch?" The first said.

"Yes it is Cassidy. I researched into this. Its home to so many different pokemon left here by trainers while traveling through Kanto." Butch said, unaware that the business had relocated to Pallet Town and this was now just a home for the founders of the day-care.

Back in the house, Nick and the others told his grandma about their many adventures and about the pokemon they've encountered. "Why don't you show me your pokemon then. I would love to meet all of them."

"Well, I was waiting until grandpa showed up. You know how he's always doing something around here, I figured he would have poked his head in by now." Nick answered.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you. Grandpa is away for the next few days. He's going on his yearly trip with his friends to Celadon City."

"Well, if that's the case then." Nick began as he reached for his pokeballs. "Everybody come on out." He finished as he opened the pokeballs. Out came his five pokemon that were with him. Eevee immediately climbed up onto Nick while Kingler and Gastly joked around. Hitmonchan stood in the corner by himself watching everyone else. The only acknowledgement he gave was a wave of his hand. Meanwhile Charmeleon flexed his right arm, trying to show Nick's grandma just how strong he was. "Well, this is everyone with me right now. Back home are my Beedrill and Shellder."

"Oh all of your pokemon seem so interesting and well trained. I also noticed that they all have their own little quirks about themselves." She said before turning to Samurai and Janine. "What about you two? What pokemon do you have?"

The two trainers smiled as they opened their pokeballs, revealing their pokemon. Pinsir appeared right beside Samurai, showing an unquestioned loyalty to his trainer. Parasect was with everyone else, but was frightened by so many people and pokemon being in this small space and hid behind Samurai. "Parasect, what is there to be afraid of? You're one of the largest ones here." He said with a sigh. Meanwhile Samurai's Venonat was running around the table, being chased by Janine's Venonat who had plenty of energy.

Grimer sat on the floor with the other pokemon, not really doing anything while Zubat flew in a circle before resting on the counter. Finally, Vulpix was resting in Janine's lap having it's fur be pet by her.

"Wow! You both seem to have interesting pokemon as well. From what I see, all of them have been raised extremely well." Nick's grandma said, looking at every pokemon. "Seeing all these pokemon in the house brings me back to the old days."

"Well, you still have your pokemon to keep you company." Nick reminded her.

"Oh I know. Your grandpa took his Poliwhirl and Ryhorn with him, saying 'I never know if I'll need their help. Besides, they deserve this trip also.' So right now its just myself and Ponyta at home." She explained. "Well, why don't you show your friends around. I have company which should be hear soon and you're all welcome to join us." She said before getting up and leaving.

Nick led them around the house, showing them every room. They had already seen most of the house, and the bedrooms all looked the same; a bed, a dresser and an end table with a lamp next to the bed. As Nick showed them around, they noticed that they couldn't hear any rain anymore and figured that the rain must have stopped. They then heard a knock at the door and realized that Nick's grandma's company was here. The three trainers dat around upstairs for a while so that the two downstairs could have some privacy.

After about 15 minutes the three trainers walked downstairs to meet whoever was visiting. When they reached the bottom of the stairs Nick saw someone he wasn't expecting. "Zach! What are you doing here?" Nick asked, interrupting the conversation.

Zach was sitting down on the couch in the living room, he was dressed exactly the same as he was in Saffron City except for the white sweatshirt that was unzipped. "I should be asking you the same thing. I'm here visiting grandma to learn more on raising pokemon." He said, but not in the way Nick was used to, he sounded different as if there was less hate in his voice.

"Did he just call Nick's grandma, grandma?" Samurai asked, running the previous statement over and over in his head.

"Oh, everyone calls me grandma." She began. "It was a nickname that visiting trainers gave to me and it has stuck over all these years."

"So, can we get back to what we were talking about please?" Zach asked politely, picking up a pencil and notepad.

"Yes, now where was I. Oh that's right! Raising pokemon means more than just training them to be strong, you need to take care of them daily. It is extremely important to feed them correctly so they get all of the nutrients that they require. I usually feed them my special pokemon food." She said before getting up and leaving the room. After a minute she returned with a can full of pokemon food. "I make this myself from all organic materials found in this forest. Its much better than what the pokemarts sell these days."

"I see." Zach responded while writing it all down. "Now, I thought different types of pokemon liked different flavors?"

"Yes they do. After making the food I then sprinkle some flavoring onto the food. But there's more to raising a healthy pokemon than just food. They require plenty of exercise and need time to just relax and rest. They aren't tools, but our closest friends."

Just then the bright sun shined through the window. "Wow, it looks like its really nice out again." Janine said, looking outside.

"Yes it really is. Why are we inside now? Lets head outside." Grandma said as she stood up. Nick followed her and then Janine followed him. Zach was the next to get up and Samurai followed behind everyone else.

"So, how's it been since leaving Saffron City?" Samurai asked the fellow trainer. "You seem happier than before."

"It is going better. I followed your advice, I'm making my own name." He said, smiling back at Samurai. "You see, I enjoy battling, but what has really caught my attention is the way a pokemon is raised, having fun raising it from the time you meet it until you feel pride in how strong you helped your friend become. Don't get me wrong, I don't want to be a breeder but if I could spend all day just taking care of my pokemon I would."

"So that's why you visited here. No where better than a day-care center to learn how to properly raise pokemon." Samurai said. "Now what about the whole thing with Nick?"

"I don't hate him if that's what you're hinting at, I just don't like him. He took my title of smartest in Pallet Town and I'll get it back. Like I said before, I will beat every last trainer from Pallet Town showing everyone that I'm the best."

The two then caught up to everyone else who were waiting down near the sheds. "Inside here is where Ponyta is. She's my first pokemon I ever had. The two of us went through some crazy adventures." She said while opening the shed doors. Once the doors were opened, everyone realized that the shed was actually a stable. "Ponyta!" Grandma called out as a horse that appeared to be on fire appeared in front of all of them. "Why don't you let all of your pokemon get some fresh air?"

"That's a great idea. Everyone come on out!" Nick said, tossing his five pokeballs. Samurai and Janine followed his lead and tossed their pokeballs as well. Zach was the last one to do so, grabbing three pokeballs and opening them. "So, these are the pokemon you brought with you?" Nick asked, looking at a Blastoise, a Magmar and a Hitmonlee.

"Yes, I left everyone else in Pallet Town so they could rest at Professor Oak's lab." Zach told him. He looked over to see his Hitmonlee approaching Nick's Hitmonchan. _This should be interesting._ He thought to himself while sighing, he knew Hitmonlee was very competitive and was always looking to battle.

"Lee. Hitmon!" The kicking pokemon said as he approached Hitmonchan. Hitmonchan paid him no attention, instead he was looking into the woods. "Hitmon!" He said louder as he was getting upset. The kicking pokemon decided to try and scare Hitmonchan by sending a flurry of kicks right past his face. Hitmonchan was unfazed to say the least.

"It looks like those two want to go at it." Grandma said. "Why don't you two give us a battle. Two pokemon each, you can use the backyard as your field."

"That would be great." Nick said. "Hitmonchan, you want to fight?"

"Chan." The punching pokemon replied without any emotion. He seemed to be very interested about something in the woods. He slowly turned around and walked towards Nick.

"Okay, so I need one more." Nick said, and before he could finish his sentence Charmeleon stepped forward.

"Char, charmeleon!" The fire type said, shooting fire into the air. He really wanted to battle after his training was cut short today.

"Okay, I understand." Nick told him. "Zach, I'm ready whenever you are."

In the woods, Butch and Cassidy were silently watching everyone from some bushes. "Butch, be quieter. That Hitmonchan nearly spotted us."

"I'm sorry Cassidy, its just I was stung by a Weedle and their stingers are sharp."

"You'll be sorry when I get finished with you."

"Hey Cassidy, don't those kids look familiar?" Butch asked, noticing Nick and the others.

"You're right, they're those annoyances from the Fuchsia gym." She replied. "It looks like they're going to battle. They'll tire themselves out and then we'll steal all of the pokemon." She laugh evily.

Nick and Zach were now ready to start their battle. "Hitmonchan, I choose you." Nick said as he pointed towards the field. Hitmonchan merely walked out to it and waited.

"Hitmonlee, you're up." Zach said pointing at the field as well. Hitmonlee ran out to the field, pumped to be battling.

"This will be a two-on-two match. The winner will be whoever has the last pokemon left standing. Begin!" Samurai said, signaling for the two trainers to start the battle.

* * *

 **Team:**

 **Nick- 6 badges:**

 **Eevee- swift, quick attack, dig, shadow ball**

 **Kingler- water gun, crabhammer, stomp, mud shot**

 **Chameleon- flamethrower, ember, dragon rage, brick break**

 **Gastly- night shade, mean look, hypnosis, dark pulse**

 **Hitmonchan- mach punch, agility, comet punch**

 **At Oak's:**

 **Beedrill- poison sting, fury attack, twinneedle, hyper beam**

 **Shellder**

* * *

 **Samurai- league exam badge:**

 **Pinsir- x-scissor, bulldoze, harden, revenge**

 **Venonat- supersonic, tackle, foresight, signal beam**

 **Parasect- energy ball, stun spore, fury cutter, slash**

 **At home:**

 **Butterfree- aerial ace, sleep powder**

* * *

 **Janine- league exam badge:**

 **Venonat- psybeam**

 **Zubat- wing attack**

 **Grimer- sludge bomb**

 **Vulpix- ember**


	33. A Day-Care Dilemma

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Pokemon.**

Character thoughts are italicized

* * *

"Hitmonchan use mach punch!" Nick called out. The punching pokemon charged towards Hitmonlee, moving so fast that it seemed to vanish. Even Zach and Hitmonlee were surprised by it's speed. Hitmonchan reemerged in front of Hitmonlee, punching it in the chest with a lightning fast punch. Following the attack Hitmonchan stood in front of Hitmonlee, not moving an inch.

"Quick, use mega kick before it escapes!" Zach commanded. Hitmonlee attacked with a barrage of kicks towards Hitmonchan, but it wasn't fazed by any of them at all. In fact Hitmonchan's speed was so incredible that he was dodging the attack even from the close distance it was from Hitmonlee. Kick after kick Hitmonchan continued to dodge with very little effort needed.

"I don't like what Nick's doing." Samurai said, noticing the flaws in Nick's strategy.

"Why not? He seems to be doing fine." Janine replied, not picking up on what Samurai was talking about.

"The way he's fighting, he's way too overconfident." He began. "Watch how Hitmonchan is dodging, he's purposely standing that close just so Nick can show off to Zach." He finished just as Hitmonchan grabbed one of the legs that were being sent it's way.

"Nice job Hitmonchan. Now toss him." Hitmonchan started spinning while holding onto his opponent. What no one noticed was Hitmonlee wrapping his free leg around Hitmonchan. "Toss him now." Hitmonchan let go, but to the surprise of everyone Hitmonchan was following the thrown Hitmonlee.

"You got way to overconfident, you didn't even notice Hitmonlee wrap his free leg around your pokemon. Hitmonlee counter with rolling kick." Hitmonlee began to swing his leg for a roundhouse kick and aimed it at Hitmonchan.

"Hitmonchan, jump out of the way." The punching pokemon did just that, jumping over the attack and landing behind Hitmonlee.

"Don't let it rest. Use low sweep." Hitmonlee continued spinning it's leg, changing from a roundhouse kick to knocking Hitmonchan's legs from underneath him. With one fluent motion Hitmonchan was laying face down on the ground, having been tripped up by Hitmonlee. "Finish this with brick break." Hitmonlee's arm glowed as he swung it down towards Hitmonchan.

"Counter with thunderpunch!" Hitmonchan jumped to his feet and dodged the first attack before seeing Hitmonlee trying a second time. This time Hitmonchan raised his fist which was now sparking with electricity and met Hitmonlee halfway, both pokemon punching the other's face.

"This really has been a good battle." Grandma said while brushing Ponyta. As she was speaking the whole backyard filled up with black smoke. "What's happening?"

The two pokemon fighting also noticed the smoke and stopped the battle for the time being. "What's going on, how are we supposed to battle when we can't even see?" Zach asked in annoyance. Just as he finished speaking, something flew through the smoke, capturing all the pokemon. The smoke finally cleared showing that every pokemon except for Ponyta and Charmeleon and Blastoise, who were in their pokeballs ready for the battle, were trapped in a giant net.

"What's the big idea!" Nick yelled out into the woods, hoping to get a response. "Whoever you are, show yourself!"

"My, we have some rather rude children don't we?" One voice said from the woods.

"Yes we do. I guess we'll just have to teach them a lesson." The second one said as they walked from the woods, revealing themselves to be Cassidy and Butch, with a Drowzee.

"Prepare for trouble." Cassidy said.

"And make it double." Butch added.

"To infect the world with devastation."

"To blight all people in every nation."

"To denounce the goodness of truth and love."

"To extend our wrath to the stars above."

"Cassidy."

"And Butch, of course."

"We're Team Rocket, circling Earth all day and night."

"Surrender to us now or you will surely lose the fight." Butch finished. During the whole time the duo spoke, they had switched off every line.

"Not these two again." Samurai said, obviously not worried about them at all.

"Who are these freaks?" Zach asked, this being the first time he ever encountered Team Rocket.

"These two are Cassidy and Buff, they work for an organization known as Team Rocket and try to steal people's pokemon." Nick explained.

"Yes, so you do remember us." Butch said, loving the fact that they were becoming well known. "Wait, did he call me Buff? My name's Butch!" He yelled, realizing they messed up his name.

"Why are you trying to steal our pokemon!" Samurai demanded.

"Isn't it obvious, we're evil." Cassidy said, laughing maniacally. "Drowzee, use poison gas." Drowzee raised it's nose as a cloud of gas emerged from it, making it hard to see or breath. "We'd love to stick around, but we need to get these new pokemon back to the boss." She said, as the duo ran away with the net.

"Blastoise use rapid spin." Zach said while choking on the gas. Blastoise emerged from the pokeball already spinning and was able to remove the gas from the area. "Thanks Blastoise." He said as he recalled it into it's pokeball.

"I can't believe they got away." Nick said. "How are we going to find them now?"

"That's how!" Janine said, pointing to a trail of sludge. "Grimer must be leaving a trail for us to follow."

Nick then walked over to his grandma. "Grandma, do you mind if I borrow Ponyta. It would be faster riding it than chasing them on foot."

"I wouldn't let you go without Ponyta." She said smiling.

"Thank you." He said, getting on the horse pokemon and then having it walk to Zach. "I know we don't exactly get along that well, but can we bury the hatchet between us just until we get our pokemon back." He said, reaching a hand out to Zach.

"Fine, but once we get the pokemon back, its back to how it always is." He said while grabbing the hand and climbing onto Ponyta.

The duo were now off, Ponyta was running as fast as it could, picking speed up the longer it ran. They followed the trail deep into the woods where it suddenly stopped. "Why would the trail stop all of a sudden?" Nick asked himself. "Charmeleon, try and pick up the scent of the other pokemon." Charmeleon appeared from his pokemon and immediately sniffed the air, trying to find a recognizable scent.

"Nick, I think I found them." Zach said, pointing to a cliff they would need to climb up. "I can see them on the top." The two trainers and Charmeleon ran over to the bottom of the cliff and started to climb.

"What's taking the helicopter so long. I don't like it." Butch complained.

"Take it easy. There is no way they can find us so just relax." Cassidy told her partner.

Just then, the three climbing up the cliff reached the top. "Team Rocket, give us back our pokemon." Nick demanded.

"You're in no position to be giving orders. Drowzee use psychic." Cassidy said. Drowzee's eyes turned blue as he lifted his hands and Charmeleon's body began floating. "I hope you like a flattened pokemon." She said as Charmeleon was tossed over the edge.

Nick could only watch as he saw Charmeleon be thrown over the edge. "No!" He yelled. _Not again. I won't be useless this time._ He thought as he jumped over the edge after Charmeleon. Nick managed to catch up to him and grabbed him. "Its okay. Everything will be fine, I'll make sure of it." He told Charmeleon. As they were falling Nick thought back to everything they had gone through so far, from meeting at Bill's house, helping win the cascade badge, it's evolution into Charmeleon and finally battling against Sabrina. As Nick was looking back, he didn't notice the fire in Charmeleon's eyes. Just then, the flame on it's tail grew in size and he started glowing white. Charmeleon started growing in size as his whole body changed, his tail grew in size and his arms and legs also grew in size. Finally, wings sprouted from his back. Within seconds Nick was now riding on the back of a Charizard. "You evolved, to save me. Thank you." Nick said as the duo flew back up to the top.

"Rarww!" Charizard yelled while firing a flamethrower into the sky. Drowzee moved forward ready to attack the newly evolved pokemon, only for Charizard to defeat it with one flamethrower.

"Cassidy, I think our goose is cooked." Butch said while shaking from fear.

"For once I'm going to agree with you."

"Charizard, use flamethrower." Charizard opened his mouth as a flamethrower flew out of it and engulfed Cassidy, Butch and their Drowzee causing them to go flying off into the distance.

"Nick." Zach said, getting Nick's attention. "Like you said earlier, we don't exactly get along. But, I have to say, your Charizard has been raised well."

"Did I hear you correctly?" He asked, unsure if he was mishearing Zach's words. "Did you really just compliment me?"

"Don't let it go to your head. Let's get the pokemon back to the others." He said while getting onto Charizard. The fire and flying type carried him down to the ground so that he could ride Ponyta back to the house.

Nick rode on Charizard's back and Charizard himself carried the net back to the house. Once back there, he slowly descended down to the ground, placing the net of pokemon down gently. Nick was the next to get off and while they untied the net, Zach returned on Ponyta.

Nick stood there, watching Charizard interact before approaching it. "Charizard, I've heard about how evolved pokemon gain a new personality. Could you show me if you're still the same?" Nick asked and watched as Charizard flexed his right arm in a playful manner just like he always did. He then turned to Zach. "You ready to finish our battle?"

"I don't have time, I need to get going and finish my training." He said as waved his hand as if he was swatting the request away. "If I plan to win the league, I'll need to train as much as I can." He then turned around and began to leave the area, heading back towards route

After Zach left, everyone turned their attention to Charizard as they were excited to see that Charmeleon had evolved into a Charizard, but when they found out the whole situation their mood changed. "Why would you jump off a cliff!" Samurai yelled at his friend. He was risky himself, but even he would never jump off of a cliff.

Nick rubbed the back of his head, embarrassed a little from his actions. "Well, once I saw Charmeleon thrown over the edge, I just stopped thinking and jumped after him. I guess now that I'm looking back, I wouldn't have made a difference at all." He said, letting out a small laugh at the end, only to be hit over the back of his head.

"That isn't funny." Janine said, upset with Nick just brushing off his close encounter with death. "Think about how all of your friends and family would have felt, hearing that you fell to your death."

"I've seen trainers do worse things, his grandpa was the worse.." Grandma said, trying to lighten the mood. "If I had a dollar for every time his grandpa acted recklessly, I'd have more than what I made running the day-care." She said laughing. "I've loved the company, but shouldn't you all be heading off as well? The league starts in April, you started your journey in June. Since then four months have passed, leaving you with only six months to get your remaining badges and train for the league." She then walked towards the barn before returning with a few containers of her pokemon food. "Take these as well. It tastes much better than that stuff they sell at the pokemart."

Nick put the pokemon food in his bag and thanked his grandma. "Tell grandpa I said hi." Nick said as they started walking back towards route six. "So, about how far are we from Vermilion City?"

"Well, if my map is right, we should be able to reach the city in only a couple hours." Samurai said, pulling his map out of his backpack and read it.

"Wait, is that the same outdated map we used in Mt. Moon!?" Nick asked, trying to keep his anger down.

Samurai didn't answer at all instead he sprinted ahead, hoping to stay far away from Nick until they reached Vermilion City. Unfortunately Nick was right behind Samurai the whole time trying to catch up to him.

"Why don't you ever get new maps when we're in a city!"

"These are just as good, if not better."

"Ya, only if you want to get lost every time."

The two continued arguing as they ran down the path towards Vermilion City. Janine just watched the two go at, laughing at how they were always able to go at each other. "Just when you think it'll be peaceful." She said sighing. "Wait for me!" She yelled, noticing how far ahead the others were, before sprinting after them.

* * *

 **Team:**

 **Nick- 6 badges:**

 **Eevee- swift, quick attack, dig, shadow ball**

 **Kingler- water gun, crabhammer, stomp, mud shot**

 **Charizard- flamethrower, ember, dragon rage, brick break**

 **Gastly- night shade, mean look, hypnosis, dark pulse**

 **Hitmonchan- mach punch, agility, comet punch, thunderpunch**

 **At Oak's:**

 **Beedrill- poison sting, fury attack, twinneedle, hyper beam**

 **Shellder**

* * *

 **Samurai- league exam badge:**

 **Pinsir- x-scissor, bulldoze, harden, revenge**

 **Venonat- supersonic, tackle, foresight, signal beam**

 **Parasect- energy ball, stun spore, fury cutter, slash**

 **At home:**

 **Butterfree- aerial ace, sleep powder**

* * *

 **Janine- league exam badge:**

 **Venonat- psybeam**

 **Zubat- wing attack**

 **Grimer- sludge bomb**

 **Vulpix- ember**


	34. All Aboard the SS Anne!

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Pokemon.**

Character thoughts are italicized

* * *

"Here we are, Vermilion City." Samurai said as the group could begin to see the city's outline, buildings filled the sky until you reached the port. From there you saw the blue ocean filled with boats that ranged from cruise ships to fishing vessels. "You all made fun of my maps, but we made it here sooner than I thought."

"That's because Nick chased you here the whole time!" Janine yelled, trying to keep Samurai's ego from getting too big. "We should really rest a little here. I've heard that there are some good beaches."

"I guess, but I really want to get my next badge as soon as I can." Nick said sadly, but he realized that he wasn't going to win this. "Its getting late, the gym probably isn't open by now. Lets go to the Pokemon Center first and then decide on something to do."

Both Samurai and Janine looked at Nick like he was crazy. "You feeling okay Nick?" Samurai asked.

"Huh? Of course I'm fine, why would you ask." He responded, confused by his friend's question.

"Well," Janine began. "You never check out the cities. If you're not at a gym or doing something related to pokemon, you usually stay at the Center."

"So what? I can't try something different?"

"No its not that, it just seems so sudden and out of nowhere for you." Samurai said, waving his hands in front of his body. They then dropped the subject as they continued towards the Pokemon Center. After walking for about fifteen minutes they came upon the Center.

"First thing is to heal everyone." Nick said while grabbing his six pokeballs. He walked over to Nurse Joy, who was standing behind her counter. "Excuse me, could you take a look at my pokemon?"

"Of course, it should only take a few minutes." She said, taking the six balls and placing them on a tray. Without another word, she picked the tray up and walked into the back of the Center.

Nick decided to walk back over and join his friends who were sitting down, relaxing. "So, any interesting places to visit here?"

"Well, outside of the dock there doesn't really seem to be anything around here." Samurai said, his face being buried in his maps.

"Samurai." Nick said softly as he was losing his patience with those maps. "They're outdated, things that are new in this city won't be on there."

"Oh, are you three pokemon trainers?" A new voice said. The group turned around and noticed a young man who by first impression looked snobby. The man was dressed in a dark blue suit with matching dress pants, his blond hair was combed back and looked presentable. "The name's Richard, what are your names?"

"My name's Nick."

"I'm Samurai."

"Hi, I'm Janine."

"I couldn't help but overhear how you all had nothing to do tonight. There's going to be a cruise party tonight around the Vermilion port on the S.S. Anne." He explained, when he talked it sounded like he had a light british accent. "I was invited to go, but I received three extra tickets. Would you like to come?"

"Sure." Nick answered without a second thought. "But, why did it matter if we were pokemon trainers?"

Richard mentally facepalmed. "Did I forget to mention that everyone on the ship are trainers?" He said, letting out a laugh. "The cruise is a way for trainers to meet others and could be an unofficial tournament of sorts."

"A tournament? Why haven't we heard of it." Janine wondered. "I mean, surely some trainers would have mentioned it here."

"Well, it hasn't been announced yet. You three are some of the few people in all of Kanto to know about it. So, are you in?" He asked politely.

"Well, I guess it sounds like a good time." Nick said, trying to picture how this was going to work out.

"Splendid! Here are your tickets." Richard said, handing each of them one. "The event starts at 8pm, please arrive early." He started to head towards the door before stopping. "Oh, if you could, please dress appropriately. This is a formal event."

Just then, Nurse Joy returned from the back with Nick's pokemon. He immediately went to retrieve them. "All of your pokemon are doing just fine."

"Thank you. Are there any rooms left for the night? And if there are, could I reserve two of them?"

"Of course, just let me check in the database." Nurse Joy told Nick as her fingers punched away at the keys. "You're in luck, you got the last two rooms here tonight." She told him, handing over the room keys. Nick then thanked the nurse and returned to his friends.

"So, how much time do we have?" Nick asked, not sure how to pass the time.

"Well, he said be there before eight, so we should leave here no later than 7:30." Janine said, while looking for a clock. She finally found one and noticed that it read 7:02. "If we want to make it, we really need to get ready."

The group then split up with Janine heading to one of the rooms and Nick and Samurai heading to the other. Once the two boys reached their room, they entered and began to change immediately. Nick despised dressing up, but knew he had no choice. Lucky for him his mother packed one set of dress clothes for him, incase something like this happened. Nick removed his gray short sleeve shirt and red shorts and in their places put on a white button down collared dress shirt along with black dress pants. Nick didn't have any other shoes so he had to keep his white sneakers on. When he walked out of the room, he saw Samurai with a short sleeve button down shirt and his armor over it. _At least he changed his shirt._ Nick thought as the duo walked back to the lobby.

The two waited a little, sitting at a table wondering what was taking Janine so long. They stared at the clock which read 7:35. "Should we go check on her?" Samurai asked, but once they both stood up they saw her walking down the hall.

"Sorry I'm late." She said. Janine was wearing a sundress that was the same shade of purple as her scarf. Her hair wasn't tied up at the moment so it fell down, going to about her shoulders. Both Nick and Samurai didn't recognize her at first with her hair down, and had to look twice to make sure it was her. "What are you two doing? We have to get going or we'll miss the ship." She said, dragging them behind her while trying to hide a blush that was forming.

The three made it to the dock at around 7:55, only to see Richard waiting for them. He was standing right next to the boarding ramp, looking at his pocket watch. Once he noticed the group he closed the lid to the watch and placed it in his pocket and began to wave to them. "Splendid!" He yelled. "I was worried you were going to miss the boat. Hurry up and get inside." He said, pushing them up the ramp.

Once on board they handed their tickets over to the crew, who in turn handed them a small medal. The medal wasn't that large, small enough to hold in your hand. It was silver and had a picture of the S.S. Anne on it.

"Uh, Richard, what are these?" Nick asked with a confused expression.

"I did say that a tournament of sorts was taking place here. You see, everyone here has a medal. If you lose a battle you need to hand over your medal to the winner. Whoever has the most by the time the ship returns to the port wins." Richard explained. "I figured that this would give me a chance to train for the League." He said, showing his eight badges.

"You're competing as well?" Nick asked, before getting a determined look on his face. "Well, I'm going to win at the league this year." He finished, raising a fist in front of him, determined to follow through on his word.

"You sure are a determined young chap aren't you." Richard said, growing determined as well. "If you plan on winning, you're out of luck. I'm going to be winning, but tonight is for relaxing." Richard told them as he walked down the hall towards the dinning hall.

The group followed him and walked through the double doors. The room was packed. Tables filled with food were set up like a buffet line. There was also tables to sit at and relax. In the middle of the room Nick noticed a few battles going on, everyone was dressed up. Finally, above everyone hung the largest glass chandelier any of them have ever seen.

"I don't like this place." Samurai said, pulling at the collar of his shirt. "Everything is too fancy for my liking."

"It isn't that bad. Everyone are all the same here, we're all pokemon trainers." Janine said, trying to help Samurai relax. "You just need to relax."

Just then, an elderly gentleman appeared, he was dressed just like Richard only with a top hat. "Excuse me madame, but would you like to have a battle?" He asked, removing his hat and bowing.

"It would be my honor." Janine said, giving a little curtsey. She then turned to Samurai. "See, they're just like us."

The other guests moved out of the way, making sure that the two trainers had enough room to battle. "I'm sure you know the wager." He said, raising his medal. "The match will be a one-on-one. The winner receives the loser's medal." He explained, grabbing a pokeball. "Mankey." He said while tossing a pokeball. A light appeared from the ball and a Mankey was standing before him.

"Hm. Mankey's a fighting type, so I'll choose Zubat." Janine said, tossing her pokeball to reveal the bat pokemon. Zubat flew around in the air before coming to a rest on Janine's shoulder. "Zubat, use wing attack." Zubat charged towards it's opponent, flying through the air while it's wings glowed white.

"Mankey, counter with karate chop." The gentleman called out. Mankey's fist glowed white as he prepared to counter. The fighting type watched as Zubat tried to confuse him by flying at an insane speed. After a few minutes, Zubat went in to strike but Mankey was ready. Hand met wing as the two attacks met. The two pokemon seemed evenly matched as both sides were still pushing off the other, then Mankey used his second hand to hit Zubat into the ground.

The bat pokemon crashed into the ground, causing a small indent as a result. "Mankey, grab Zubat and use seismic toss." Mankey reached into the indent and grabbed Zubat by it's wings. Seeing her opportunity Janine smirked.

"You don't seem that worried about a counter attack." Janine said, trying to worry her opponent. Before he could answer she called out a command. "Zubat use supersonic." Zubat opened it's mouth as rings of a high pitched frequency struck Mankey in it's face. The fighting type became dizzy from the attack and accidentally allowed Zubat to escape it's clutches. Now free, the bat pokemon flew into the sky. "Use venoshock." This time Zubat fired off a poisonous liquid that struck Mankey's whole body, causing him pain.

"Mankey, try and calm down. We have to focus if we want to win, try and use mega kick." Mankey jumped into the air, it's foot beginning to glow white as it drew closer to Zubat. Unfortunately for Mankey fighting in the air while confused wouldn't really help him. As he soared through the air, Zubat flew higher up causing the fighting type to miss his target and crash into the ground.

"Zubat! Finish this with another wing attack." Zubat circled around mid flight so it could get a better view of Mankey. It then dive bombed towards Mankey as it's wings glowed. The fighting type tried desperately to avoid the oncoming attack, but due to it's confusion it was having a hard time telling which direction was which. Zubat reached it's target and sliced through it, landing an effective hit that was enough to cause Mankey to faint.

"We did it Zubat." Janine told her pokemon, her being proud of how it handled the match. The bat pokemon flew around Janine's head, excited for it's victory, until she recalled it to it's pokeball.

As Janine was celebrating, the gentleman she just defeated walked over to her. "Young ma'am, I haven't had a battle that exciting in a long time. If I had to lose to anyone I'm glad it was to you." He said, handing her a medal before disappearing into the crowd.

"See, I told you we had nothing to worry about." Janine said, smiling towards her friends.

Samurai had a renewed sense of confidence inside of him. The young trainer walked over to a group of guests, ready to challenge any of them. "Any of you interested in battling." He asked. Both Nick and Janine shaked their heads.

"He does realize he should be talking politely, doesn't he?" Janine asked, bewildered by Samurai's lack of manners.

"Hey, you did tell him to 'just relax and that everyone here is all the same.' In that case, he's not realizing that this is a formal party." Nick said, shrugging off Janine's question.

The group of four just looked at Samurai. In the group were two men and two women. Both of the men were wearing black suits with matching pants, while the women had on white ball gowns. The group laughed at his request of a battle. "You, want to battle one of us?" One of the men asked between fits of laughter. "Don't be ridiculous, I don't even know how you got in. Between your clothes and etiquette its a wonder you weren't tossed over." He finished as the group left.

Samurai walked back over to his friends, visably upset at those people. "Can you believe them. This is a really nice shirt!" He yelled, paying no attention to the fact they made fun of his manners.

"Yes, it is a really nice shirt, but, you could have asked for a battle politely." Nick said, walking up to a woman. "Excuse me miss, would you be interested in battling?" He asked.

The woman looked at Nick before answering. "Of course I would be interested." The two then did a bow and curtsey before grabbing their pokeballs. "Growlithe hunny I have a favor to ask." The pokeball opened and out came a pokemon that looked like a dog.

"Kingler, I choose you." Nick yelled as he tossed a pokeball. The krab pokemon appeared in front of Nick, ready to battle, but before it could begin Kingler faced Nick. "Huh, what is it Kingler?" He asked before getting hit in the face by a water gun. "I thought we were done with this after you evolved." Nick said, disappointed with Kingler's gimmick.

"Koki." Kingler said, laughing at it's trainer. After Nick dried his face off Kingler was awaiting a command.

"Kingler, use mud-shot." Kingler opened it's large claw, as it fired off balls of mud towards Growlithe.

"Growlithe, dodge with agility." Growlithe started to run straight towards Kingler, picking up speed the longer it was in motion. The fire type became so fast that it looked like a blur to everyone watching. No one could tell where the pokemon was, all they could see was Kingler firing off shot after shot only for it to miss everytime.

"Koki." Kingler growled, the crab pokemon was growing more and more frustrated as each attack missed.

"Growlithe, flame wheel." The blur on the field started to spin in a circle until it was now a flaming circle that charged towards Kingler.

Nick sighed to himself. _Why make yourself a visible target when I couldn't see you before?_ Nick asked himself. "Kingler, use crabhammer." Nick said enthusiastically. Kingler pulled it's claw back, waiting for the ball of fire which was Growlithe to grow closer. Once the ball was in striking distance Kingler swung it's claw into it, sending Growlithe flying. The fire type crashed into the ground, having fainted from the hit. Nick looked dumbfounded. _For being trainers, they don't really care for training at all._

"Oh, my poor Growlithe has been beaten. I guess now I can enjoy this party without having to battle anymore. Here's my medal." She said, tossing the medal to Nick who caught it with the same dumbfounded expression.

Nick then went back over to his friends, still a little confused from his battle. "I think most of these trainers don't actually train and are only here for this party. I'm a little disappointed now." Nick told them honestly.

"Well, a win is a win." Samurai said, hitting Nick in the back. "Now its time for me to show all these rich folk just how good I am." He expressed as he ran off into the crowd.

"So, how many people actually battle him?" Nick asked, confused over how Samurai didn't learn anything from how Nick asked someone to battle.

"If he's lucky, a couple who feel sorry for him." Janine responded. "Well, we better go catch up to him. Its best to help him act around everyone." She said, following after Samurai.

Nick was about to follow after her when a swarm of people surrounded him. They had all heard about his Kingler winning in one hit and wanted to battle Nick. "All of you?" Nick asked, looking at the amount of people before him. He was trying to count everyone but he kept losing track at around twenty as people were moving, trying to get closer to the front. "Okay, I'll battle everyone." He answered, raising a pokeball.

A cheer could be heard across the room. "So, is that the boy you told me about?" A rather large man asked, his skin had a nice tan to it and his haid was blonde and cut jagged. He was wearing an old army uniform, decorated in medals from his time in the service.

"Yes uncle Surge." Richard responded. "I overheard them talking at the pokemon center and I thought they could really make the battles interesting this year."

"I think I'll try my hand against him." The brute said, raising from a chair.

"Now uncle, you promised not to battle tonight, considering that its your birthday. It took a lot of work for me to reserve the ship and find your old war buddies." Richard told him.

"You're right. I just get excited seeing a heated battle. Its the soldier in me." Sarge said, letting out a hearty laugh. "But why did you have to invite these rich folk, you know I don't mix with them."

"Well, I needed an excuse to rent the whole ship. A small birthday party wouldn't work, but a cruise party for wealthy trainers would." He explained to his uncle. Both of them then rose from their seats and left the room, looking for Surge's war buddies.

"Hitmonchan, use mach punch." Nick called out. Hitmonchan raced towards his opponent's Magmar and landed a direct hit. Hitmonchan's fist collided with Magmar's head, sending the fire type backwards. "Finish it with comet punch." Hitmonchan continued attacking Magmar with a barrage of punches. Fists were flying all over the place as Magmar tried stopping the punches. Unfortunately they were too much and Magmar was defeated.

"Wow. I can't believe I beat all 28 of them." Nick said while being handed the medal. "I wonder where everyone else is, I really should go find them." Nick began to walk in the direction they had originally walked away in, only to be stopped by his stomach. "Well, I guess having a quick bite to eat won't hurt anyone." He said, changing direction and walking towards the buffet line. Nick quickly piled food onto his plate and walked over to an empty table. As Nick was walking, someone bumped into him, causing both of them to drop their plates. "I'm sorry, I didn't see you there." He said, trying to be polite, even though it wasn't his fault.

"You better be sorry. You should look before walking." The person said. Nick had his back to whoever it was, but the voice sounded familiar for some reason.

This wasn't the response Nick was hoping to hear. "Listen! I only said that to be polite." Nick began as he turned to face whoever walked into him. "Ebony!" Nick yelled out of surprise. Ebony was standing there before him in a blue sundress, smiling with her head tilted a little too her left and giving him a small wave of hello with her hand. "What are you doing here, shouldn't you be in Celadon City with Erika?" He asked.

"Ya, well Erika was given two tickets to this party and she asked if I wanted to come along. She told me it could be like a graduation present for me." Ebony explained, still smiling. "I finished my training with Erika about a week ago, around the same time Erika received the tickets." She finished explaining. The two went back over to the buffet line and grabbed new plates of food before sitting down at an empty table. "So, why are you here, you aren't exactly famous like Erika and why aren't Samurai and Janine with you?"

"Well, we got into Vermilion City earlier today and while we were sitting around wondering what to do a man named Richard gave us tickets to this party." Nick explained. "Samurai is off trying to battle people to win medals and Janine is trying to keep him from making a fool of himself." He finished, before pulling a medal out. "You do know about these, right?"

"Of course, although the people here aren't much of a challenge." She replied, pulling a small bag out of her backpack. "In here is about 50 medals. I've heard most of the trainers have been eliminated already." She said, eyeing Nick suspiciously. "How many?"

Nick placed his hand behind his head, scratching it. "Oh you know, only 30." He answered. "That's only because I was asked to battle 28 straight matches as people spread the word that my Kingler won in one hit." He said, sheepishly.

"Oh, I wonder who would spread news like that." Ebony teasingly said with a sly grin on her face.

"You spread the news, but why?" Nick asked, obviously puzzled.

"Well, I heard about a boy with a strong Kingler and I wanted to see if it was you. After hearing that the trainer also used a Gastly, Hitmonchan and Eevee I figured it was you." She said.

"But why would it matter if it was me?" Nick answered, oblivious to what was going on.

Ebony had a light blush starting to form now. "Well, I just.. really wanted to see you again." Ebony said shyly, she turned her face away so Nick didn't see her blush.

Elsewhere on the ship Samurai continued going to each person on the ship, looking for a battle. Unfortunately, everyone either declined him or were already defeated. "How am I ever going to earn medals if there's no one to battle?" He asked himself.

"Slow down!" Janine yelled, finally catching up to him. "I've been trying to catch up to you this whole time and all you did was continue chasing after trainers. I was going to help you, but you asked nearly every trainer before I could catch up to you!" She continued to yell, visably upset with his antics.

"Well honey, they remind me of when we first started seeing each other." A young man in a white tuxedo said to woman next to him.

"They really do, don't they? Its a wonderful thing to see young love." The woman replied. She had on a white ball gown. "I'd like to battle them, you can always tell how people fell for each other through the way they battle together." She said, tossing a pokeball.

"I really do anything to make you happy don't I." The man said, tossing a pokeball. Out of them came a Nidoking and Nidoqueen.

"Yes! I've been waiting for a battle all day." Samurai cried out in excitement, not really paying attention to what the two trainers were saying. "You ready Janine? Pinsir, stand by me in battle." He said, tossing a pokeball.

"Uh, sure." She replied, flustered by the implied thoughts from these two trainers. "Vulpix I choose you." Janine said, tossing a pokeball. Vulpix appeared from the ball yawning, showing no interest in fighting right now. "Vulpix, if you battle right now I'll get you something good to eat." She said, bribing the fire type. "Okay, use ember." Vulpix fired off small balls of fire at Nidoqueen. As the attack was about to hit, Nidoking blocked it with his arm.

"Oh thank you for helping us." The woman said to her partner. "Now let us help you. Use dynamic punch." Nidoqueen charged towards Pinsir and reared it's fist back, ready to strike.

"Pinsir, counter with x-scissor!" Samurai yelled. Pinsir's arms glowed and extended a little, colliding with Nidoqueen's fist. The two seemed locked in a stalemate until a second fist struck Pinsir, sending it backwards. "But.. how?" He wondered, unsure of what happened.

"When you're as close as we are, we know how to attack without needing commands. Not only are we close, but so are our pokemon." He bragged. "Use submission." Nidoking rolled across the field, striking Pinsir and then Vulpix.

"What are we supposed to do?" Janine asked herself, unsure if they even had a chance.

"Janine! What are you even saying?!" Samurai yelled, snapping her out of her trance. "You've faced worse situations, only to overcome it. I know you, and I know you're not ready to give up. So neither am I." He said, smiling at his partner. "Pinsir, use revenge." Pinsir charged towards the closest opponent which happened to be Nidoking. Pinsir swung it's fist at the pokemon, only for it to be caught.

"Vulpix, help Pinsir by using attract." Vulpix swung it's tail in the direction of Nidoking as hearts formed from it. The hearts raced over to Nidoking, who was too busy to dodge, hitting him and causing him to become infatuated with Vulpix. This distraction was all Pinsir needed as it was now able to strike Nidoking in the chest, knocking it back.

Nidoqueen wasn't excited to see Nidoking the way it was acting and attacked Vulpix without being given a command. The pokemon rolled towards Vulpix at a speed faster than Nidoking's submission attack.

"Pinsir, block the hit by taking it yourself. Use harden." Pinsir glowed white just as Nidoqueen rammed into him. Pinsir fell to one knee, but he wasn't going to let the attack get by him. Nidoqueen continued to roll forward, only to be stuck in the same spot because of Pinsir's actions. Pinsir eventually caused the pokemon tstop rolling and the battle was a standstill.

"Vulpix, use flame charge." Janine called, seeing an opportunity. Vulpix was soon covered in flames as it rammed into Nidoqueen, causing her to fall to her knees in pain.

"Pinsir send it back with revenge." Pinsir swung it's fist once more, this time connecting with Nidoqueen's stomach. The force was so powerful that Nidoqueen landed on top of Nidoking. "Finish this with bulldoze." Pinsir started to stomp on the battlefield, causing the whole field to shake. As all the pokemon had no balance, Pinsir charged towards the two pokemon, ramming into them and knocking them out.

"We lost. We never lose when we fight together." The woman complained.

"Its alright dear, we'll win the next time." He reassured his wife. He then quickly turned to Samurai. "You're pretty lucky, you know that. It isn't everyday you find someone special like that. Take care you two." He said, handing them two medals.

"Oh, I know." Samurai said responding about the someone special, only thinking that they were talking about Pinsir.

Janine blushed a little from Samurai's comment, not realizing that he misunderstood. "Why don't we find Nick. I lost him when I was chasing you." She explained as the duo walked away.

Eventually the duo met up with Nick who was still catching up with Ebony. The group of now four started talking again, only for Nick to come up with an idea. "Why don't we head back to the pokemon center? Its getting boring here."

Ebony looked at him like he had three heads. "And how are we getting there? If you didn't know, the ship has set sail!" She yelled at him.

"Relax, I've got that under control." The group followed Nick, unsure of where he was heading. Along the way they ran into Richard. "Hi Richard." Nick began. "Thank you for giving us those tickets, but we're going to get going now." He then reached for his medals, handing all but one to Richard. "I won't be needing these, so why don't you take them." The group then began to walk away, not even giving Richard a chance to speak. Nick led everyone outside onto the deck. The night sky was clear and you could see every star tonight.

"So, how are we getting back?" Ebony asked again.

"We fly." Nick answered, opening a pokeball. "Charizard, I choose you."

"Rawrr!" The fire type yelled as it was released from the pokeball.

"Charizard, you think you can give us a ride back to shore?" Nick asked, only for the pokemon to point for everyone to get on his back. After a few minutes everyone were positioned so that all four of them could fit on Charizard.

As if on cue, Charizard took off. It seemed like a rocky flight, but Nick just assumed that it was because of how many people Charizard was carrying. Eventually they returned to the Center where they headed inside. Upon noticing that it was already 11:30, everyone decided to go to sleep.

The next morning came quickly for everyone, and they all met back up in the Center's lobby. "Ebony," Nick began. "Since your finished with your training from Erika, why don't you travel with us again?" Nick asked, somewhat nervously.

* * *

 **Team:**

 **Nick- 6 badges:**

 **Eevee- swift, quick attack, dig, shadow ball**

 **Kingler- water gun, crabhammer, stomp, mud shot**

 **Charizard- flamethrower, ember, dragon rage, brick break**

 **Gastly- night shade, mean look, hypnosis, dark pulse**

 **Hitmonchan- mach punch, agility, comet punch, thunderpunch**

 **At Oak's:**

 **Beedrill- poison sting, fury attack, twinneedle, hyper beam**

 **Shellder**

* * *

 **Samurai- league exam badge:**

 **Pinsir- x-scissor, bulldoze, harden, revenge**

 **Venonat- supersonic, tackle, foresight, signal beam**

 **Parasect- energy ball, stun spore, fury cutter, slash**

 **At home:**

 **Butterfree- aerial ace, sleep powder**

* * *

 **Janine- league exam badge:**

 **Venonat- psybeam**

 **Zubat- wing attack, supersonic, venoshock**

 **Grimer- sludge bomb, poison jab**

 **Vulpix- ember, flame charge, attract.**


	35. The Electric Shock Showdown!

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Pokemon.**

Character thoughts are italicized

* * *

"Since your finished with your training from Erika, why don't you travel with us again?" Nick asked, somewhat nervously. Both Samurai and Janine were agreeing with Nick's question, it was as if the three talked about it last night.

Ebony stood there thinking about her options. On one hand she could travel with them while training for the league, while on the other hand she could head back to Pallet Town and train hard with no one watching her. Eventually the young female trainer decided. "Sure, why not?" She said, trying to sound like she didn't really care too much. "This way I can see how to beat Nick at the league."

"Oh that's great." Janine said, embracing Ebony in a hug. She then playfully teased the boys. "You don't know how hard it was trying to be the voice of reason with those two. It seemed like every few hours they were itching to have a pokemon battle."

"Ya." Ebony replied. "I can only imagine how hectic they can be. It also doesn't help that they can't cook even if their lives depended on it." She said, letting out a laugh after thinking about their failures at cooking. Janine then joined in, knowing exactly what Ebony meant.

The two boys didn't take pleasure to these insults and instead turned their attention to Nick's upcoming gym battle. "So, any ideas on how you're going to battle?"

"Nope." Nick said calmly, after his gym battle with Sabrina and all the battles on the S.S Anne, Nick was starting to get an ego. "I always figure something out."

Samurai picked up on this cocky attitude and tried to put an end to it. "Don't get overconfident, from now on the battles are only going to get harder as you meet new trainers." He explained.

Unfortunately his words didn't reach Nick as the trainer was already heading towards the gym. After a 15 minute walk, the group came upon what looked like an abandoned warehouse that was covered with pictures of lightning. "This is the gym?" Nick asked, not impressed with the design. Nick quickly walked inside, ready for a battle. The gym was dimly lit, you couldn't see too far in front of you because of it. "Is anyone here?! I'm looking for the gym leader, I want to challenge him!" He yelled throughout the dimly lit room.

"So, another challenger comes to face the great Lt. Surge?" A voice rang out. Just then a large man walked out of the shadows and approached Nick. The man was almost twice Nick's size, with Nick standing only to his chest. He was dressed in a military uniform and was wearing sunglasses. "The challenger is a baby?" Surge asked, removing his sunglasses.

"I'm no baby!" Nick fought back.

"Hmph, everyone who challenges the gym is a baby unless they win." Lt. Surge explained. He then clapped his hands, causing the gym to be flooded with light. "The battle is four-on-four. Got it!" He yelled before walking away.

"Ya." Nick replied, growing more and more annoyed with Surge's attitude. _I'll show him who the real baby is._ Nick thought as he grabbed a pokeball. "Eevee, I choose you!" Nick yelled, tossing his pokeball at the battlefield.

"Hahaha." Surge immediately laughed when he saw Eevee. Once he was under control he began to talk. "It only makes sense for a baby to use a baby pokemon!" He said, pointing at Eevee before laughing again. "I'll show you a real pokemon, Raichu!" Lt. Surge tossed a pokeball onto the field. Out of the ball appeared a large orange mouse with a black tail. "Now this is a pokemon." He said, bragging about Raichu.

"This guy shouldn't underestimate Eevee." Samurai began. "He looks small, but he packs a punch."

"You should know, seeing how it always beats you." Janine said, teasing the trainer.

"What! I don't always lose." Samurai argued, defending his pride.

"Well, last I heard the score was about 342 to 7." Ebony added, obviously exaggerating. Samurai just crossed his arms to this and faced the battle.

"Eevee, use shadow ball!" Eevee charged up the attack before firing the sphere of ghostly energy at Raichu. The electric type had no time to move before the attack struck him head on, causing an explosion and a cloud of dust. "That'll show him not to mess with us. Nice job Eevee." Nick said, complementing his pokemon.

Lt. Surge didn't seem to be worried at all, in fact he smiled at Nick. This reaction made Nick little nervous of what was to come. Eventually the cloud faded away to show Raichu completely unfazed by the attack. "Nice try, but a baby attack wont hurt us. Raichu, use thunderbolt!" Raichu built up electricity inside of his body. The mouse pokemon had stored up so much that you could see it flying off of his body. "Fire!" Raichu launched the attack at Eevee. Upon seeing the sheer size of the bolt of lightning, Nick was terrified of the power. Nick had seen plenty of thunderbolts before, but this one was in a league of it's own. The bolt was twice as thick as Raichu and was taller than even Lt. Surge.

"Eevee, don't let that attack hit you! Use quick attack to dodge." Eevee began to sprint around the gym ferociously trying to avoid the bolt, but wherever he ran the bolt was right behind him.

"This doesn't look good for Eevee." Samurai said, just from watching the match he was sweating from nervousness.

"I've never seen Eevee so overpowered before." Ebony said, she had been watching the battle observently and even she couldn't think how to counter this.

Nick saw a small opportunity to escape and decided to risk it. "Use dig, now!" Eevee stopped right on the dime and immediately clawed away at the ground. Nick watched as the bolt of electricity grew closer and then looked to see Eevee still digging. "Faster Eevee!" Nick yelled as loud as he could. Nick had never felt this way before in a battle. As he watched Eevee dig he felt his arms start shaking out of fear for his pokemon. Nick watched as the thunderbolt was approaching and looked back to Eevee, only to see it finish the hole.

Eevee began to jump into the hole, but his back legs were hit by the thunderbolt as he was diving in. "Ee!" It cried out in pain from the attack.

"Ha! You're pokemon couldn't even take a weak attack." Surge bragged about his Raichu's strength. "You should have evolved him as soon as you got it." He said before returning his focus to the battlefield. "Raichu, be ready. He could attack from anywhere. The duo watched for any sign that Eevee was attacking. Eventually they saw the ground bulging up. "Catch him in your hands." Eevee jumped up from the underground ready to attack Raichu, only to be caught by Raichu.

"What!" Nick yelled out. "Eevee, try and get free!" Nick yelled, concern filling his voice. Eevee struggled to escape from Raichu's grasp but the electric type just tightened his grip.

"Vee..." Eevee cried out, his body filled with pain.

Nick was starting to shake again. He could feel the fear of Eevee being hurt worse and worse consume him. "Stop it!" He yelled. Everyone was surprised by this. Nick yelled at times, but never like this. It was as if he was warning Surge to stop, not pleading with him.

"Alright, I'll stop." He said, smirking. "Raichu, mega punch!" Raichu released Eevee with one arm and pulled it's fist back. It then swung that fist right into Eevee's stomach sending the small pokemon flying across the field.

Nick immediately ran over and picked Eevee up carefully. "Its okay, you did a great job." Nick said, stopping the pokemon from trying to continue fighting. Nick was about to go hand Eevee and it's pokeball to Samurai when Surge stopped him.

"You leave the field, you forfeit the match." He said, giving the same smirk from before the mega punch.

"He's horrible." Janine said, walking over to Nick. "Don't worry, Samurai and myself will take Eevee to the Pokemon Center." She said, holding Eevee gently in her arms. "Just beat this idiot." She told him smiling.

"Ya." Nick said, thanking his friends for taking care of Eevee. He then turned to face Surge, grabbing a pokeball he tossed it onto the field. "Hitmonchan, I choose you." The fighting type appeared from the pokeball, the same blank stare as always. Hitmonchan was always this way. Never letting anyone catch onto his emotions. He then looked around the room to see Eevee in it's current condition.

"Chan?" He asked, pointing towards Eevee. "Hitmon?" He then immediately asked and pointed at Raichu.

"Ya." Nick said, but without his usual energy. "They did that to him."

"Chan!" Hitmonchan yelled while pointing his fist at Raichu. After seeing Eevee his whole attitude changed. Instead of the emotionless warrior, he looked like he was fighting with a vengeance. The cold eyes of Hitmonchan looked as if they could pierce right through Raichu. Hitmonchan had a fire burning inside of him, he was determined to make this Raichu pay.

"Why is Hitmonchan acting so differently?" Janine asked Samurai as they ran out of the gym. "I've never seen him show so much emotion." She then paused before adding. "In fact, I have never heard him talk this much."

"You weren't with us when Hitmonchan was caught." The bug type trainer said between breathes. "He used to protect the weak pokemon of a forest he lived in from some menacing pokemon." He continued. "I guess seeing how Raichu and Surge hurt Eevee like they did really got under Hitmonchan's skin. He wants to teach those two a lesson." He finished before stopping to catch his breath. "Keep going, I'll catch up." He told Janine so she wouldn't stop.

"So, you decided to use a decent pokemon this time. I guess you learned your lesson from using babies in this gym." Lt. Surge said, laughing at the 'babies' remark.

Hitmonchan's stare only grew colder as he heard Surge laughing. "Ready Hitmonchan, let's show them who they're messing with. Use mach punch." Hitmonchan charged towards Raichu at a speed Nick had never seen the fighting type move at before.

"Counter with mega punch!" Raichu started to pull his fist back, but never finished the attack. Instead Hitmonchan's fist collided with his face. Hitmonchan's fist was like a bullet train when it collided with Raichu. The force of the attack was so strong that Raichu was sent flying backwards across the field, landing in front of it's trainer.

"Now its interesting, but you'll need more than that to win. Raichu, use thunder!" Raichu shot off another gigantic bolt of electricity, only this time it was even wider than before. "Try and avoid this one." Surge starting laughing at the situation.

"Come on Nick. Beat this creep." Ebony said to herself.

Hitmonchan smirked before charging head on towards the thunder attack. "Use agility." One moment Hitmonchan was charging towards the attack and in another it looked as though he disappeared.

"Raichu, that was pretty strong. There isn't anything left." Surge said, thinking he had won. Just then Hitmonchan appeared before Raichu. The punching pokemon was taller than the mouse and just stared down at it, letting it see his anger up close. "But how? Thunder was too large to miss." He managed to say, surprised to see Hitmonchan even standing yet alone ready to battle.

"Thunder might have been large, but, there still was a small gap that Hitmonchan slid under before your attack crashed down onto the ground." Nick started to explain. "We decided that by increasing our speed, we could make it underneath the attack unharmed." He finished. "Comet punch!" Nick yelled as a barrage of punches were thrown by Hitmonchan. Each punch landed on Raichu, causing a massive amount of damage. By the time Hitmonchan was finished with his attack, Raichu had fainted. "Great job Hitmonchan!" Nick yelled out to the fighting type.

"Hitmon." He replied unemotionally, just like his usual self. Nick noticed that Hitmonchan's whole attitude changed once Raichu fainted. The fighting type was now breathing heavily and Nick decided to give it a rest.

"Hitmonchan, return!" Nick said, raising it's pokeball and recalling it. "Charizard, I choose you!" Nick yelled, tossing a pokeball.

"Rawrr!" The fire type yelled upon being sent out to battle.

"Electrode, go!" Surge yelled, tossing a pokeball onto the field. The pokeball opened up, revealing what looked like an upside down pokeball with a face. "Electrode, thundershock." Electrode fired off a decently sized bolt of electricity. This one seemed like nothing compared to the previous ones though.

"Dodge it!" Charizard spread its wings and took to the air. The fire type flew out of the way of the electrical attack. "Dragon rage." Charizard fired off a rather large ball of fire. The ball collided directly with Electrode, causing the pokemon to roll backwards.

"Electrode, show them your thunderbolt!" Electrode fired off another bolt of electricity. This one moved faster than the thundershock, leaving Charizard with no time to avoid it. Surge had a smile form across his face, excited by the strength of the attack.

"Charizard, cancel it out with flamethrower." Nick told the fire type, deciding not to mess around. The fire type opened it's mouth and a large flame followed shortly after. The two attacks met mid way across the field and when they collided it caused a massive explosion.

The smile on Lt. Surge's face disappeared and was replaced with a look of shock. "That much power from a flamethrower?" He questioned himself before deciding to get serious. "No more messing around. Electrode, use light screen." A box of light covered Electrode's spherical body, before disappearing.

"You think I haven't seen that trick before? Charizard, break their screen with brick break!" Charizard flew towards the electric type and swung it's arm down onto it's body. As the arm came crashing down, the invisible cube started to crack and then completely shattered.

Lt. Surge smirked at this turn of events before laughing.

"Hey! Tell me, what's so funny about your plan not working?" Nick wondered.

"Oh I don't know, maybe this. Electrode, use explosion Electrode's whole body glowed white before suddenly exploding on itself. Due to Charizard's close proximity it too was caught in the explosion.

"Charizard!" Nick yelled, he was unable to see what was going on at all. Following the explosion the whole field was covered in smoke. "Charizard! Can you hear me!?" Nick continued to yell into the smoke, hoping to hear his famous roar. But no sound came at all. Finally when the smoke cleared, it was revealed that both pokemon had fainted from that attack.

"I can't believe he fell for that." Ebony said, she was a little ticked off by Nick's rash behavior right now. "Nick, settle down. You can't win unless you think with a clear head." She told him, hoping he'd listen. Unfortunately, he didn't hear a word of it.

"That was a cheap move and you know it!" Nick yelled. "Only cowards fight like that!"

"Wow, those are fighting words coming from a baby." Lt. Surge said, laughing at how Nick was acting. "Listen, this isn't no backyard games. This is a pokemon battle and you do what you need to in order to win." Surge reached for his third pokeball. "Jolteon!" Surge threw the pokeball and watched as Jolteon appeared onto the field. "If you evolved your Eevee, you could have a great pokemon like this."

Nick was getting tired of this arrogant man. "A pokemon doesn't have to evolve to be great. All that matters is how you raise them! Gastly, I choose you!" Nick yelled, tossing the pokeball and watched as the gas could emerged from the pokeball.

"Aw, come on. Just when you get me excited, you send out another baby pokemon." Surge said, clearly disappointed in Nick's choice. "Might as well work quickly. Jolteon, use thunderbolt." Jolteon shot off the electric attack right at Gastly, Nick wasn't fazed at all. After seeing so many similar attacks, he had figured out a way to evade them with Gastly.

"Gastly, phase into the ground!" The ghost type quickly floated down into the ground, disappearing from everyone's sight. The thunderbolt shot down exactly where Gastly was before, only for it to miss.

"You call me a coward, and then you go and hide like this." Surge said, calling Nick out. "I thought you fought fairly. How is hiding the whole time fair?" He asked. Surge didn't mind it at all, he was just trying to get on Nick's nerves.

This time Nick smirked. "Just like you said 'you do what you need to in order to win.' I'm doing just that. By using Gastly's ability to phase in and out of objects, you'll never hit us." Nick said, the whole time Nick kept the same smirk Surge was wearing the whole battle. Lt. Surge didn't enjoy that and he was now glaring. "Gastly, use night shade." Gastly reappeared behind Jolteon and fired off the black beam at Jolteon. The electric type was hit directly in the back, by the time it turned around Gastly had vanished again.

"Jolteon, be prepared. It'll attack from anywhere." Surge said, growing frustrated with Gastly's antics. "Prepare a thunderbolt, but don't launch it." Jolteon started sparking from the electrical buildup inside of itself. "With this much electricity, Gastly won't be able to get close."

"Think again." Nick said, believing that this battle was turning in his favor. "Gastly, phase from underneath and use dark pulse." The playful ghost reappeared in the only spot that electricity wasn't hitting, right underneath Jolteon. Gastly let out a short laugh before launching the attack. Due to the location from where the attack was launched, Jolteon was launched into the air.

Surge watched as Jolteon had no control over anything as it fell towards the ground. "Jolteon!" Surge barked, getting the pokemon's attention. "Stay under control. Remember our time in the war, without a cool head you're toast." He reminded his pokemon, helping it regain it's composure. Seeing that Jolteon was relaxed, Surge was ready to continue. "Okay, Jolteon start spinning, and as you get close to the ground use dig!".

Jolteon started spinning at an impressive speed, moving so fast that it began to look like a drill. The electric type dug deep into the ground once it's body connected with the earth.

"Gastly, stand your ground." Nick told the ghost type. Nick didn't know what was going to happen, but he decided to stand their ground and counter immediately. Both trainer and pokemon looked around the field, trying to figure out where Jolteon was.

Shortly after drilling into the ground Jolteon started to drill it's way back up. In fact, the electric type was directly underneath Gastly as it broke through the earth. Jolteon shot straight up from it's hole, heading straight for Gastly. Unfortunately, it only phased right through Gastly since the pokemon was unaffected by ground type moves.

Nick couldn't help it. He immediately started to laugh once Jolteon flew through Gastly. "You're a gym leader, and you don't even know what attacks don't even affect what species of pokemon." He said between laughs.

"You know, you talk too much." Lt. Surge told the young trainer. "Maybe if you didn't worry about what your eyes are seeing, and pay attention to my whole attack before commenting, you would have seen my whole plan." He said, pointing to a Jolteon that was still charged up with electricity. "I had to find a way to pull you away from hiding, so I devised a fake out. What better way than to take your attack and put a false sense of hope in you. Following that, I counter poorly so you'd drop your guard. And now!" He yelled, pointing towards Jolteon. "We finish this, thunderbolt!" Jolteon fired off it's own bolt of electricity. The attack was so close to gastly that the ghost had no time to react and took the attack head on.

"Gastly!" Nick yelled out in concern, he could see the pained expression on it's face. "Are you alright?"

"Gas, gastly." The ghost said, turning around and giving Nick a cheerful expression.

"Alright! Let's show these guys that they can't get away with pushing us around." Nick said, pointing up towards the falling Jolteon. "Use venoshock." Gastly fired off the poisonous slime right at Jolteon, who due to falling had no way of dodging. The electric type fell right into the slime, being dealt a ton of damage. By the time it reached the ground, it had fainted from the pain.

"Hmph. You know, if there is one thing you should never do its get on my bad side." Surge warned his opponent. He then pointed across the field. "Unfortunately for yourself, everything you've done has put you on my bad side." He then reached for his last pokeball. "Prepare to regret everything you've done, Electabuzz!"

The pokeball opened up, revealing Surge's final pokemon. "Electa." The pokemon said, banging it's chest. The pokemon was large, probably the same size as Nick. It's body was a yellowish color with black stripes running horizontally across it. On it's head were two horns and protruding from it's backside was a tail.

"Okay, Gastly only one more to go." Nick claimed proudly. "We'll end this quickly, use night shade." Gastly fired off it's attack confidently. The beam of energy raced across the field straight for Electabuzz.

"A weak attack won't scare us. Hit it away with iron tail." Electabuzz's tail stiffened and turned metallic as the pokemon awaited for the oncoming attack. Once the night shade was in range Electabuzz swung it's tail at the beam, causing it to be redirected away from the electric type and into the wall. Electabuzz didn't seem to be affected at all.

"What power..." Ebony said, not expecting to see Electabuzz without any sign of damage.

"Show them true strength! Use shoch wave!" Multiple bolts of electricity shot out of Electabuzz and engulfed the entire field. Gastly had no where to run, it had become a sitting duck for Electabuzz.

Nick was starting to worry again, his decisions were becoming rushed and sloppy. "Gastly, phase away like before!" The ghost type vanished from everyone's sight, just like with Jolteon only this time seemed different.

"Stly..." Gastly cried out, having been struck by the attack and phasing back into sight. The ghost pokemon flew back up into the air covered in sparks of electricity.

"But how?" Nick asked himself, but because he couldn't think clearly, he couldn't think of an answer.

Lt. Surge loved seeing the look of despair on his challengers' faces once they started feeling helpless. "Hey!" He yelled, gaining Nick's attention. "Don't tell me you didn't know shock wave always hits, no matter what. That includes you trying to hide."

Nick heard Surge's words and realized his mistake. _How could I have forgotten that._ He thought, looking at Gastly who was now paralyzed because of him.

Ebony saw Nick's strained look on his face and sighed. "You have to relax!" She yelled, only for no one to hear her. "I guess this is his battle to win on his own."

"Gastly can you keep battling?" He asked his pokemon. Gastly replied affirmatively, showing Nick that it wanted to battle some more. "Great! Use dark pulse." Gastly fired off the beam of purple and black energy.

This time the beam was moving too fast for Electabuzz to redirect. Instead the electric type tried to catch it with his hands. "Buzz! Electabuzz!" He cried out while trying to push back the attack using just it's bare hands. The beam finally exploded due to the pressure on it, covering the field in black smoke.

"Keep your eyes peeled Gastly. You never know when it'll attack."

"Thunder punch." Was all Nick heard before seeing Electabuzz jumping out of the smoke, his right fist sparking with electricity. Both Nick and Gastly had no time to react as Electabuzz's fist connected with Gastly, pushing the ghost into the ground.

"Gastly!" Nick called out, hoping that the playful pokemon was alright. Gastly didn't respond and by the look on it's face, Nick could tell it was done. "Gastly return." He said, returning the pokemon to it's pokeball. "You did great, now take a long rest." Nick praised the pokemon, not only did it beat Jolteon but it showed Nick what Electabuzz was like. He then reached for Hitmonchan's pokeball, knowing this was his last chance.

Nick tossed out the pokeball and watched Hitmonchan emerge. Unlike last time though, Hitmonchan didn't have a firey attitude and instead was his quiet self.

Hitmonchan, you ready to battle?" Nick asked, trying to pump him up. Instead all Nick got was a nod from Hitmonchan.

Surge was growing impatient from the way these two were just standing there. "In case you forgot, this is a gym match." He said, emphasizing the last part. "Electabuzz, use thunder punch." The pokemon charged towards Hitmonchan with it's electrically charged fist raised and ready to strike.

Hitmonchan meanwhile looked unimpressed and waited for a command. Nick watched as Electabuzz drew closer. "Okay, Hitmonchan use mach punch." Hitmonchan raced off and met Electabuzz halfway.

The two pokemon got into a staring match, Electabuzz trying to strike fear in Hitmonchan. After a while he realized Hitmonchan wasn't going to be scared, so he swung his fist at Hitmonchan. The punching pokemon ducked underneath the attack, managing to avoid it. He then followed it up with a swift punch to the chest.

Electabuzz struggled to keep his footing and was pushed back a few feet due to the force of the punch. "Buzzz!" The electric type yelled, sparks of electricity flying off of his body heading off into all different directions.

Surge was excited to see Electabuzz wanting to win quickly. "You're right, Electabuzz. End this with shock wave." The sparks of electricity surrounding Electabuzz's body shot off of him and towards Hitmonchan.

 _Hitmonchan is still tired from earlier. If he gets hit, that's it, its over._ Nick thought to himself, staring at the exhausted pokemon before him. "Hitmonchan, avoid the attack with agility." Hitmonchan was off and running. The fighting type was managing to increase his speed as he continued running, despite the fatigue from earlier.

Hitmonchan looked behind him, only to be confused from seeing the attack following him. "Hitmon?" He muttered out loud.

"Don't tell me you think you'll out run an attack that never misses." Lt. Surge demanded in a mocking tone.

"Oh don't worry. I would never forget." Nick said, he then started to address Hitmonchan. "Run straight for Electabuzz." Hitmonchan then made a beeline for the electric type.

"Electabuzz, don't let him get close. Use iron tail. Electabuzz's tail stiffened once more before turning metallic. It then started to swing it around widely, doing whatever he could to keep Hitmonchan at bay.

Hitmonchan was now getting closer to Electabuzz and it's metallic tail. Both he and his trainer watched the tail's movement, waiting for the best opportunity. The tail shot out at Hitmonchan, allowing an opening.

"Jump now! Hitmonchan pushed off of it's legs, vaulting itself over Electabuzz and it's tail. The fighting type then performed a front flip in midair so that it was facing Electabuzz's back. "Great, now hold onto him and don't let go."

"Chan!" He agreed, putting a full-nelson on Electabuzz. Both pokemon couldn't move due to this predicament, causing a stalemate of sorts.

Surge was starting to get pissed, and it was obvious by his facial expressions. "What are you doing! If this keeps up, neither of us will win."

"Don't tell me you already forgot about your last attack?" Nick pondered as he pointed to the shock wave coming towards the two pokemon. Just as the attack was about to land, Nick yelled out to Hitmonchan. "Okay. Let go and get out of there." Hitmonchan released his grip and was about to leave, allowing Electabuzz to take it's own attack head on.

Surge thought differently though. "You are not getting away! Electabuzz, grab that pokemon with your tail!" Electabuzz's tail sprang up and wrapped around Hitmonchan's leg, causing him to be pulled down into the attack.

Both trainers watched as the waves of electricity crashed into their pokemon. It seemed as though Hitmonchan had taken more damage even though Electabuzz took the attack head on. "Now toss him!" Electabuzz flung the fighting type across the gym, causing it to land face down on the ground.

"Hitmonchan, are you alright?" Nick asked sympathetically. He knew Hitmonchan was at his max and didn't have much strength left, yet the fighting type just stood up.

Hitmonchan nodded his head to Nick, signaling that it could fight. He was not going to let these guys beat him. Hitmonchan raised his fists, ready for the next attack.

Both trainers could see that their pokemon were both exhausted. They both decided to end it. "Thunder punch!" The trainers yelled. Both pokemon simultaneously ran at the other, their fists sparking due to the electrical buildup inside of them. Both pokemon swung their fists at the other and they both landed their attacks. Both fists flew into the opposing pokemon's face.

Both trainers watched as neither side backed down until Electabuzz started to overpower Hitmonchan. The electric type managed to continue his punch, causing Hitmonchan to go flying backwards right into Nick. Both trainer and his pokemon were knocked off their feet, Nick rose to continue fighting, but Hitmonchan didn't. The punching pokemon had fainted from that final strike.

"Thank you, Hitmonchan. You fought great." Nick said before returning Hitmonchan to it's pokeball.

"No surprise there. The baby loses in my gym. No one beats the incredible Lt. Surge." He said, bragging about himself once again. He then turned serious for a second. "If you ever think of having a chance to win, evolve those baby pokemon of yours." He finished before walking away.

Nick just stood there, looking at the pokeball in his hand. He felt like he let everyone down. He promised himself he would beat Surge, to make sure he payed for what he did. Instead, it was the other way around.

Ebony walked up to him, making sure he was alright. "That was a great battle Nick." She said, trying to get his attention. No response. She waved her hand in front of his face. Still nothing. She was now getting upset for being ignored, but figured that he was thinking about the battle. She decided to have a little fun with him. Ebony raised her hand and slapped Nick's face, breaking him from his deep thoughts.

"Owww!" He yelled, placing his hand over the red slap mark. He then looked up and saw an irritated Ebony, arms crossed against her chest, a menacing glare on her face and she was also tapping her foot showing that she was getting impatient. "What was that for!" He yelled, upset that he got slapped again.

This just got Ebony more upset. "Don't you even try and yell at me!" She yelled, she was trying to tower over him to make him cower and it was working. "What have I told you before? Never ignore me or else! Now apoligize for your rudeness." She demanded.

Nick immediately did as he was told. "I'm sorry for being rude to you." He sputtered out, trying not to get hit again.

Ebony couldn't hold back anymore and started to laugh at how nervous he was. She finally was under control of her laughing and started to talk. "You should see your face right now." She started to laugh again, but stopped herself. "Seriously though, it was the only way to get you out of your trance. You should really get your pokemon to the Center and have them healed."

"Ya, you're right." Nick said, agreeing with her before they rushed down the street to the Pokemon Center.

The duo walked into the Pokemon Center and immediately saw Janine and Samurai sitting at a table. They then walked up to the two sitting.

"Hey, how'd it go?" Samurai asked, standing up. Janine followed his example and got up as well. "Did you beat him?"

"No, we were both down to our last pokemon and he managed to win." Nick explained. "It was really close though. Hitmonchan gave it his all." He said, praising his pokemon.

"Its too bad. You all work really hard." Janine said, feeling disappointed for her friend. "But, we all know that you'll win next time." She said, trying to brighten his mood.

"Ya, I know we will. But right now I'm just worried for Eevee." He explained, looking around the room for his starter pokemon. "Where is he?"

"Eevee is in the back." Janine explained, she saw Nick's face and continued. "Don't worry, he's doing just fine. Nurse Joy just wanted him to lay down. She told us once you get here, to take you back to him." Janine turned, starting to show the way to Eevee.

"Okay, but first I want to give my other pokemon to Nurse Joy." Nick then walked over to the front desk and asked Nurse Joy if she could heal his pokemon and then once they were good, to bring them to the room with Eevee in it.

"Of course." She paused. "Was this because of Lt. Surge? This Center is always busy because of him." She explained before leaving.

Janine then led the group the group down the hall and into a room where Eevee was in. Eevee was asleep in the bed, looking completely fine with the exception of a few bandages wrapped around him.

Nick walked up to his partner and looked at him sleeping peacefully. A smile crossed his face, he was glad Eevee was alright. As if he could tell that everyone was there, Eevee awoke. "Ee." The normal type said, trying to climb out of managed to escape the blankets that were keeping him held hostage in the bed and climbed up Nick until it sat on his head.

"I'm glad you're doing better Eevee." Nick said, lifting the pokemon off of his head. "How do you feel?"

Eevee knew that he was fine now, Nurse Joy had done an excellent job of taking care of him. He jumped out of Nick's hands and started to run around on the ground, showing that it was fine.

Nurse Joy walked in shortly after with Nick's pokeballs. Nick thanked her for doing an excellent job with all his pokemon. Nurse Joy then left the room so they could have privacy. As everyone were sitting around, Hitmonchan popped out of his pokeball. "I guess Hitmonchan wanted to see how Eevee was." Nick said, seeing Hitmonchan standing near Eevee's bed.

"If you didn't know better, you'd think Hitmonchan was Eevee's bodyguard." Samurai said, letting out a small laugh.

Eventually everyone else left the room to go rest. Nick on the other hand stayed there the whole night, sleeping in a chair next to Eevee's bed. Hitmonchan did the same. The night was peaceful and Nick was able to sleep well, until a noise woke him up.

* * *

 **Team:**

 **Nick- 6 badges:**

 **Eevee- swift, quick attack, dig, shadow ball**

 **Kingler- water gun, crabhammer, stomp, mud shot**

 **Charizard- flamethrower, ember, dragon rage, brick break**

 **Gastly- night shade, mean look, hypnosis, dark pulse**

 **Hitmonchan- mach punch, agility, comet punch, thunderpunch**

 **At Oak's:**

 **Beedrill- poison sting, fury attack, twinneedle, hyper beam**

 **Shellder**

* * *

 **Samurai- league exam badge:**

 **Pinsir- x-scissor, bulldoze, harden, revenge**

 **Venonat- supersonic, tackle, foresight, signal beam**

 **Parasect- energy ball, stun spore, fury cutter, slash**

 **At home:**

 **Butterfree- aerial ace, sleep powder**

* * *

 **Janine- league exam badge:**

 **Venonat- psybeam**

 **Zubat- wing attack, supersonic, venoshock**

 **Grimer- sludge bomb, poison jab**

 **Vulpix- ember, flame charge, attract.**

* * *

 **Ebony- 8 Badges:**

 **Chameleon- fire spin, overheat, rock slide, protect**

 **Meowth- thunderbolt, fury swipes**

 **Magneton- electro ball, thunder wave**

 **Seel**


	36. The Warrior and the Shrew!

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Pokemon.**

Character thoughts are italicized.

* * *

Nick was asleep in the middle of the night when he was startled awake by a noise from outside. Unsure of it, Nick looked around the room only to find it empty. "Where'd Eevee and Hitmonchan go?" He asked himself in between yawns. He then noticed that the window was opened and walked over to it. To his surprise, Eevee and Hitmonchan were outside training. It seemed as though the loss was hard for them as well.

"Vee!" Eevee cried out as it fired off multiple shadow balls at Hitmonchan. The punching pokemon was working on dodging multiple attacks at once. It knew that he would need to be faster if he was to beat Electabuzz.

"Chan." He said, panting from exhaustion. He quickly put his fatigue in the back of his mind. "Chan, chan!" Hitmonchan expressed, wanting Eevee to continue attacking. Each attack Hitmonchan dodged with ease, but in fact he was having a hard time due to his exhaustion.

Nick watched from the window as his two pokemon were training during the night, wanting to grow stronger for him. He decided that if they weren't sleeping, neither was he. He quickly threw a black sweatshirt over his white t-shirt and put his shoes on and walked out side.

"What are you two doing?" Nick asked, trying to sound upset at them. "Its the middle of the night and you're both outside training." He said, trying to keep his act going. "You both go head inside now!" He watched at how his pokemon looked disappointed in themselves, he couldn't help it and started smiling. "Unless, you let me train with you." He said, finishing his conversation with them.

Both of them changed their expressions as they went back onto the field to train. The group spent the whole night practicing outside until the early hours of the morning.

"Okay guys, that's enough." Nick told the two pokemon while yawning. Hitmonchan and Eevee both copied him as they both let out yawns, showing just how tired they were. The three stumbled their way back inside, falling asleep in Eevee's room.

After what seemed like only a short amount of time Nick heard a knock at the door and went to open it. On the other side stood his three friends, coming to check up on Eevee.

"Nick, you look terrible." Janine said, pointing out how little sleep he got. "We were just coming to see how you were doing. Nurse Joy told us how a carnival is in town for a few days, but by how you're looking maybe we should go another day." The three trainers started to walk away, deciding to let Nick rest.

Nick opened his mouth to speak, but ended up yawning instead. Once the yawn stopped he yelled down the hall after his friends. "I'm fine. We need a break after everything we've been through." He explained. Nick then returned his pokemon to their pokeballs and left the room.

Nick met up with Samurai, Janine and Ebony in the Center's main lobby. They were already talking amongst themselves when Nick arrived.

"So where is the carnival anyway." Ebony asked, she had still been getting up when Nurse Joy told Janine about the carnival.

"Well," Samurai began before pulling out his maps. "If what Nurse Joy told Janine was correct, then the carnival should be over in this area." He said, circling an area of the city on his maps.

"Why do I feel like this won't end well." Nick said, ending his sentence with a yawn.

Samurai was tired of everyone talking badly about his maps. "Hey, there isn't anything wrong with my maps. They've led us in the right direction plenty of times." He argued, starting to become stubborn in defending his maps.

Janine didn't want them to fight so she decided to be the peacekeeper between them. "Maybe his maps are outdated, but they do get us to where we're heading. We can at least trust them to begin with."

They were all in agreement as Samurai led the way to the carnival. Unfortunately, the maps were really outdated and Samurai ended up getting everyone lost. Instead of the carnival, the group were standing in an abandoned alleyway.

"Great. Those wonderful maps got us lost again." Nick told everyone. "Now what way should we head?"

Before anyone could answer, a man wearing a mask and a cape with a Sandslash jumped down into the alleyway and landed in front of them. Everyone didn't know what to expect so they all reached for their pokeballs, just to be ready if this guy tried something.

The man stood there, cape flying in the wind watching them. Once he saw the trainers reach for their pokeballs his whole demeanor changed. Instead of being calm and cool, he started to act worried. He immediately waved his hands in front of him, trying to tell them he meant no harm.

Seeing this action, everyone relaxed and took their hands off their pokeballs. Nick noticed that the man was pointing to his mask, as if he wanted it removed. "Guys, I think his mask is just stuck." He said, pointing out the obvious. Nick then walked over, removing the mask to reveal A.J being behind it.

"Phew." He said, letting out a sigh of relief. "Do you realize how hot it is with that on?" Everyone just stared at him in disbelief.

Nick was confused the most, he was wondering why A.J would be dressed that way and why he was in Vermilion City. "A.J what are you doing?"

A.J rubbed the back of his head out of embarrassment. "Well, I was traveling through here and saw a carnival in town. I decided to stop for the day and relax. While there I was convinced into buying that mask and cape, the salesman told me it would make me seem mysterious at the league." He explained, both he and his Sandslash were turning a light shade of red before continuing. "Unfortunately, the mask was too small and got stuck. I guess I should have checked the size before buying it." He let out a light chuckle because of the situation. "I've been looking for someone to remove it for me because I couldn't reach the clip myself, but everyone ran away scared of me."

"Why didn't you just ask someone, I'm pretty sure if you explained yourself someone would help." Samurai said. People say he can be clueless at times, but A.J had him beat this time.

"The mask was so tight that everything I said just came out all mumbled."

"Wait." Ebony said, cutting A.J off. An idea had come to her. "If you know where the carnival is, do you mind showing us the way? We were heading to it when we got lost."

"Well, you guys did help me out. Its the least I could do. Even Sandslash couldn't get the mask off of me." A.J said, turning towards his pokemon.

"Slash." The pokemon said, scratching the back of it's head. Sandslash was a useful pokemon, but it wasn't much help with a situation that required fingers.

"So that is your Sandslash after all." Nick said, sounding disappointed. "I thought it was just following you, I was going to catch it."

"Oh no. I was going to catch it!" Samurai argued, butting heads with Nick.

"You? Sandslash isn't even a bug type!"

"So what. It still looks cool. Besides, who said I can't catch other types of pokemon." Samurai said, not backing down. "I love bug types, but I also like other pokemon."

A.J, seeing that this could go on for a while decided to step in. "Sandslash was my first pokemon ever. My parents had given it to me as a birthday present and actually caught it right down the road in route 11." He said, pointing in the direction that the route was. "You two head along that way. I'll show the others where the carnival is and then catch up with you two." A.J said, walking in the direction of the carnival.

"Well, you heard him." Nick said, walking in the opposite direction. Samurai quickly followed him while Ebony and Janine followed A.J.

* * *

After a short walk the two trainers reached route 11. The whole route was just a flat, wide open area covered in grass. Occasionally the duo would spot a tree here or there, but not too many of them. As they walked through the entire route they noticed many different pokemon, but none of them were a Sandshrew.

"Do you think he told us we could find a Sandshrew here just so they wouldn't hear us argue?" Samurai asked, starting to sound impatient due to their lack of success.

"Knowing A.J, probably." Nick said, agreeing with Samurai's assumption. Both trainers lowered their heads in disappointment, both of them thinking they'll never catch a Sandshrew.

Both trainers were about to head back when they heard a rumbling sound from underneath them. The two trainers watched as a small pokemon dug up from under the ground, appearing before them.

"I guess its my lucky day." Nick exclaimed, rubbing his hands together out of excitement. "I'm going to catch myself a Sandshrew." Nick reached for a pokeball, only to be pulled back by Samurai.

"You mean its my lucky day." He said, starting to reach for a pokeball only to be pulled back by Nick now. "What are you doing? I'm trying to catch a pokemon, let go of me!" He yelled, shaking Nick off of him.

"Don't act so offended, you did the same to me." Nick said, defending his actions. During the argument, the wild Sandshrew dug underground, getting away. He then looked around, noticing that the Sandshrew was missing. "Great, now we lost the only Sandshrew we've seen."

"Shrew, shrew!" The Sandshrew cried out, digging back above ground, only a few feet away.

"There it is!" Samurai yelled, before running over to it. Nick followed shortly behind. "Since we can't act mature right now, why don't we let Sandshrew choose who it wants to battle." He said, facing the mouse pokemon. "So, Sandshrew, who do you want to battle?" Samurai moved his hand back and forth between himself and Nick, trying to help Sandshrew decide.

The ground type looked back and forth between it's two choices as if it was having a hard time deciding. Sandshrew raised one hand as if it were ready to choose, but instead of pointing at a trainer it instead flung mud at both of them. "Sandshrew, shrew." It cried, laughing on it's back.

Nick could tell that this Sandshrew was somewhat of a prankster and imagined what it would be like having it be on a team with Kingler and Gastly. The only thought that ran through Nick's head was him constantly being on the receiving end of a prank. "You know what, I don't really want to catch a Sandshrew. This one's all your's." Nick told Samurai, pushing the trainer towards the ground type.

* * *

Elsewhere, the group of three trainers walked down towards route 11. "Do you think they bought it?" Janine asked, kind of nervous that their friends would figure out they were lied to. "I don't like lying to them, but this might be the only way we can help Nick." She was clearly distraught over their actions.

"I don't know why you're worried so much, Janine." Ebony said, slapping the ninja's back. "We both know that Nick can be stubborn so this is the only way we can help him. We were just lucky to find A.J walking around." She said, trying to reassure her friend.

"Before we continue," A.J began, interrupting the girls' conversation. "I was wondering, did Samurai know that this is all staged to help Nick? I mean, if he knows then he really knows how to sell something. He even has me believed that he wants to catch a Sandshrew."

Both Janine and Ebony let out a light laugh. "Well you see, we didn't trust Samurai with keeping this a secret." Janine explained, A.J now started to laugh from hearing the truth. "He really thinks there is a carnival today." She lowered her head due to a little embarrassment. "Everything that he is doing, isn't acting. He truely believes everything that we've made up."

The group's laughter grew a little louder now before A.J silenced them. He then pointed over to a cliff that overlooked the whole route. "We can watch them from up here. Then when its time, we can find them easily." He explained, laying down on his back. "So, go over this once more."

"Well," Ebony started, sitting down next to A.J. "Nick can get overconfident at times. It was evident during his match with Lt. Surge yesterday. He also can lose his ability to think clearly when something big happens. We need you to belittle him during a match and show him how his overconfidence will be his downfall." She said, now laying down on the grass with her body stretched out.

"Why do I want to help him, what's in it for me? Honestly why would I make one of my competition stronger, especially with the league this close." He asked, having a good point. He sat up now, facing the other two trainers.

Neither of them could come up with a good reason. The two sat there speechless, thinking over any positives for A.J. Finally Ebony spoke up. "Well, it allows you to see what pokemon he has. Plus you can see his battling style, break it down and then use it against him during the league." She explained, A.J seemed interested now and Ebony noticed. "Now you see why this could be good for you?" _You know, now that I think about it, this might not be such a great idea._ She thought to herself, having one of Nick's rivals know almost his whole battling style might not be the best thing. He could work on his overconfidence, but could he change his whole battling style?

A.J stood up now, clearly excited to see how Nick really battles. "You've got me. I'll help him out." He then walked over to the edge of the cliff. "How long do we let them chase that Sandshrew?" A.J asked, pointing at Samurai.

The young trainer was chasing after the ground type with his Venonat following beside him. The small group could hear him yelling from where they were located. "Stop throwing mud in my face!... Don't run away, fight like a real pokemon!... Nick! Help me out by blocking that path!" Were some of the things he was yelling.

"Knowing Samurai he could be at it all day. If we stop him now, we'll never hear the end of it." Ebony explained. "Sometimes he can just ramble on forever about bug pokemon. One time I stopped him from talking, he wouldn't talk to me for the rest of the day." She finished laughing.

"He is stubborn isn't he. I remember first meeting him, I accidentally insulted his brother without realizing it. He was ready to jump down my throat. Its best to let him catch this pokemon." A.J said, laughing alongside Ebony about Samurai's quirks.

Janine was the only one not joining in. "He isn't that bad. Its just his determination to spread awareness about how great bug types are. Plus he cares about his family's honor."

Ebony wasn't having any of it. "You honestly enjoy his lectures on how to properly raise bug pokemon?" She asked, not buying anything Janine said. She then got a look in her eyes. "Or are you just sticking up for him because you like him."

Janine's face flushed a light red at this, as she tried covering Ebony's mouth before she could finish the sentence. She was too late, and looked over to A.J who had been watching Samurai chase the Sandshrew. "You're lucky he didn't hear." Janine whispered to Ebony, the young girl just smiled back at her.

* * *

Down on the ground Samurai was still chasing after the very same Sandshrew. Every time Samurai thought he had the ground type cornered, the little rascal managed to escape. The small section of route 11 they were on was now covered in holes and mud was everywhere

"This is harder than we thought, isn't it, Venonat?" Samurai asked his bug and poison type pokemon, having lost sight of the Sandshrew.

"Venonat." It replied cheerfully. No matter the situation it always seemed to have energy. The pokemon was running around Samurai's legs before stopping and pointing in a direction. "Veno!" It cried before running in the direction it faced.

Samurai followed the bug type towards the taller grass, hoping that it found the Sandshrew. "Thanks to your amazing eyesight, you can easily spot this Sandshrew from miles away. After it hid underground, you must have spotted it dig above ground. Didn't you, Venonat. You've been working really hard today, thank you." He said, praising the pokemon.

The duo reached the pile of grass only to find it deserted. "Veno?" The bug type asked itself. It was sure that a Sandshrew was here a minute ago.

"Sandshrew!" The ground type called out, now standing behind them. It seemed to be calling them to come closer, as if it wanted to battle them.

"You hear that, Venonat. Sandshrew wants to battle us." The two ran over to the Sandshrew, ready to do battle, but before they could do anything the ground collapsed beneath them. The two had fallen into a pit dug by Sandshrew.

"Shrew, sandshrew." It cried out in laughter, rolling around on the ground. It clearly was enjoying itself, making it seem like it was smarter than Samurai.

"What's the big idea!" He yelled, out of anger. "When I get out of here, you'll regret messing with me. Venonat, use signal beam!"

Venonat fired off the light blue beam of energy. Unfortunately due to where they were, the beam hit the side of the pit. This caused rocks to tumble down into the pit, falling onto Samurai and Venonat.

"Sandshrew!" The Sandshrew cried out, it was overwhelmed with joy from being able to do so much to this trainer. The ground type walked over to the edge of the pit and faced its back towards Samurai. It then started to slap it's behind, trying to insult the trainer even more. It then rolled up into a ball and disappeared from view.

Samurai was upset, even more than he usually could get. "Just wait until I find that Sandshrew. I'll make it wish that it decided to come with me easily instead of all of this." Samurai then tried to climb out of the pit, but was unsuccessful in his many tries. He decided to do the only thing left that he could. "Nick!" He yelled out, hoping to get his friend's attention.

"Venonat!" The bug type yelled while running around the pit. It was copying it's trainer, even if it wasn't acting in the same way.

* * *

Nick had been sleeping under one of the few trees on this route when he overheard what sounded like someone yelling his name. "That sounds like Samurai. I wonder what he got himself into this time." He said to himself. The young trainer stood up and then stretched himself out before following the voice. After a short walk the voice started to grow louder. _That definitely is Samurai, but I don't see him. Where is he?_ Nick thought to himself. He then came upon the pit that Samurai had fallen for and noticed Samurai sitting there, looking defeated. "What happened?" Nick asked, he really wanted to know what happened here.

"Sandshrew happened. That little jokester dug a pit for me to fall into, and that's exactly what I did." Samurai said, getting to his feet. He then reached a hand up towards Nick, who met it halfway and helped pull Samurai out of the pit. The duo were now sitting on the ground, trying to figure out a way to beat Sandshrew. "Everything I've tried has failed. I honestly don't know what to do. Normally this always works."

Samurai's words struck an idea into Nick. "Maybe you need to switch up your idea. No offense, but your tactic has always been used on bug pokemon that don't have access to so many ways of escape." He explained, Samurai seemed to be understanding as he finished Nick's thought.

"So if I slow it down, I should have no problem at all." He finished, jumping up off the ground. He reached for another pokeball as he opened it. "I need your help, Parasect."

"Para?" The duel type pokemon asked, kind of surprised by it's surroundings.

"Parasect." Samurai said, getting it's attention. "There's a pokemon I'm trying to catch and I need both your's and Venonat's help in catching him."

"Parasect." It cried out, trying to help out Samurai. Unfortunately it was shaking from it's timidness.

Samurai noticed it immediately and tried to calm it down. "Its alright, you're not the one battling today. I just need you to spray your spores around. Okay?"

"Para!" It cried out, this time more confidently.

"Now that's what I like to hear." He said, praising Parasect's new found attitude.

As Samurai was pumping his pokemon up for their encounter with the Sandshrew, Nick noticed the familiar ground type rolling across the field towards them. "I hate to interrupt, but your friend is back." He said, pointing at Sandshrew. "Whatever you plan on doing, do it soon."

Samurai turned around and saw what Nick was talking about. He quickly faced his two pokemon, ready to deliver some commands. "Venonat, use your supersonic attack!"

Venonat fired off multiple high pitched waves that were invisable to the naked eye. The waves traveled straight at Sandshrew, who because of it rolling forwards ran right into the attack. Sandshrew immediately lost it's balance and had to stop rolling. As it tried to stand up it only fell back down, too dizzy to move at all.

Samurai, seeing his chance, decided to continue his attack before Sandshrew could recover. "Parasect, use your stun spore attack!"

Parasect shook it's giant mushroom as a yellowish brown cloud of dust emerged from it. The dust cloud traveled straight towards the confused Sandshrew, covering it in the stun spore. Sandshrew tried to shake off the attack, but was unsuccessful and became paralyzed from it.

"It worked!" Samurai cried out in joy, pumping his fist into the air. He then reached for Parasect's pokeball. "Great job, Parasect. Take a good rest." As Parasect was recalled into the pokeball, Samurai noticed that Sandshrew was starting to run away. "Venonat, quick follow that Sandshrew. We can't let it get rid of it's paralysis." He told his bug pokemon as the chased after the pokemon.

Nick watched as the duo chased after the now slowed down Sandshrew and decided to follow them. "I might as well, what if they fall into another hole." He said to himself before running after them.

After chasing Sandshrew across the route, Samurai managed to corner it. The ground type knew it as well. To it's back was a cliff and in front of it was Venonat. Sandshrew thought about digging but knew it wouldn't get too far away because of the stun spore.

"Shrew... shrew." It panted. Sandshrew was growing tired from being chased the whole day. It had never seen a trainer this persistent, but no matter how persistent he was, Sandshrew was not going down without a fight. Sandshrew reached down towards the ground and flung mud at Venonat, trying to create a distraction.

Samurai wasn't going to give it any chances though. "Venonat, dodge the attack and then counter with signal beam!"

Venonat rolled to it's left barely dodging the oncoming attack. The bug type then regained it's balance before firing the energy beam at Sandshrew. Sandshrew tried to dodge the attack, but it's paralysis kicked in. The whole attack collided with the ground type, causing some decent damage.

"Okay, now's my chance. Pokeball, go!" Samurai yelled as he tossed an empty pokeball. He watched as the pokeball struck Sandshrew and pulled it into the ball. The pokeball rocked back and forth, Samurai feeling more and more relieved the longer it shook. Just when they thought it was captured, Sandshrew broke out of the pokeball. "So, you still have some fight in you. Venonat, use confusion!"

"Venonat." The insect pokemon cried as it's eyes and antennae glowed blue. A large blast of psychic energy formed between it's antennae before being launched towards Sandshrew.

"Sandshrew!" The troublesome pokemon cried out as it forced every muscle in it's body to dig underground. The mouse pokemon managed to dodge the attack barely and was now waiting for the perfect opportunity to launch a counter attack.

"Venonat, be ready. Sandshrew could attack from any direction." Just as Samurai warned his pokemon, the ground type came flying out of the ground while using a rollout attack. The attack was a direct hit and caused Venonat to be sent flying. "Venonat, are you alright?"

"Veno.." It managed to say. Both pokemon were growing tired from the intensity of the battle, but neither one was backing down.

"Alright, if you're good then so am I." Samurai said, agreeing with his pokemon. He too was starting to reach his limit and figured that if Sandshrew got away this time, then that was it. There would be no way he could continue chasing after it. Samurai looked up from Venonat to see Sandshrew charging straight for Venonat with a rollout attack. "Venonat, use your signal beam once more."

Venonat charged up the familiar attack once again, aiming straight for the incoming Sandshrew. "Veno!" It cried out, launching the attack with everything it had. Both it and it's trainer watched as the beam collided with the Sandshrew. They watched as it managed to tear through the signal beam with ease, neither of them knew what to do and could only watch as Venonat was launched again.

"Venonat, you've done great. Let's call it a day!" Samurai called out, hoping his pokemon would listen. However, Venonat was getting back up, bracing itself for another rollout attack.

Venonat didn't want to let Samurai down. Samurai trusted it, believing that the bug type was strong enough to help him capture this pokemon. The insect pokemon watched as Sandshrew drew closer, it's rollout picking up momentum after each hit. "Venonat!" It cried out, opening it's mouth as it's fangs glowed purple and grew in size. Venonat managed to catch Sandshrew in it's mouth and tossed it into the cliff.

"That was poison fang. What was the odds of it learning it right now?" Nick said, completely amazed at the insect pokemon.

"Way to go Venonat. Now's our chance, pokeball go!" He yelled as he tossed another pokeball at the Sandshrew. He watched as the ball rocked back and forth multiple times. His eyes were locked on the pokeball, watching it continue to shake. Finally it stopped moving and dinged, signaling that Sandshrew was caught. Samurai walked over to the pokeball, picking it up triumphantly. "We did it Venonat!"

"Veno, venonat.." Venonat said while falling down to the ground from exhaustion. For the first time ever, the bug type had absolutely no energy whatsoever.

Samurai reached for Venonat's pokeball and went to recall it. "Thank you for everything today, Venonat. You did amazing, now take a nice rest." Samurai then turned to Nick, he had a question on his mind and he just couldn't figure it out. "Hey, why do you think poison fang managed to inflict so much damage. I thought poison was weak to ground?"

"I was thinking that also. Maybe the pokedex would know more." Nick reached for his pokedex, using it for the first time in forever. He skimmed until he reached Venonat's page. "Here we go, hopefully we find something useful."

"One of Venonat's known abilities is tinted lens. When using a move that isn't very effective on a pokemon, that move's power is doubled." The pokedex explained in it's monotone robotic voice.

"I get it now." Nick said, putting the pokedex away. "Venonat must have the tinted eyes ability. So when it used poison fang on a ground type, the power was doubled."

"Ya, I guess it came in pretty handy." Samurai said, before adding on. "Well, you know, it was part of my strategy." He said, laughing.

* * *

From up on their cliff the group of three were waiting for Samurai to finally catch that Sandshrew so A.J could go challenge Nick to a match. Ebony was growing bored from all the waiting and A.J had fallen asleep from the long wait.

"Hey, I think he finally caught it." Janine said, looking up from her binoculars. "I don't see Sandshrew anymore and they seem to be laughing about something."

"They're probably talking about how they were outsmarted by a Sandshrew of all pokemon. Honestly, they were at it for hours chasing that one Sandshrew." Ebony said, standing up off the ground. "I guess its time to wake sleeping beauty up." Ebony then walked over to the sleeping A.J, wondering what the best way of waking him would be.

"Oh, I've got an idea." Janine said, reaching for a pokeball. "Grimer, I choose you."

The pile of sludge appeared in front of the two trainers and Ebony immediately realized what Janine had planned. "I never thought you would do something like this." Ebony teasingly told Janine.

"I've just never had a reason to do this." She replied back. "Okay, Grimer use your stench to go wake up A.J. He's the one over there." She explained to the poison type.

"Grimer." It said, seeming to enjoy this. It walked over to the sleeping trainer and then raised it's two arms up, causing a horrible stench to fill the air. Even Ebony and Janine were affected by the smell, but they fought to withstand it until A.J woke up.

"What is that smell!" He yelled while sitting up. Once he was up, he started coughing due to the stench of Grimer. He then noticed the Grimer standing right beside him. "Next time you want to wake me, why not be a little more civilized about it." A.J said, staring at the two girls with a little anger in his eyes. "I take it they finally caught it."

"Ya, just a short time ago. We think now would be a good time to challenge Nick." Janine told the trainer. She then quickly recalled Grimer to it's pokeball.

"Fine, I'll go over to him, just don't wake me up like that ever again." A.J told the two trainers before making his way down the cliff. It didn't take him too long to climb down, he was used to climbing down cliffs like this from his training with his pokemon. A.J made his way over to the two trainers, neither of whom noticed him at all. "So, did I miss anything interesting. It took me longer than I thought to get over here." He said, lieing to the others.

"You didn't really miss much." Samurai began, before pulling out a pokeball. "Except me catching a Sandshrew." He was now holding the ball protectivly in his hands.

A.J decided to use this to his advantage. "Wow, Samurai won between you two. You must really be a great trainer."

"Well," Nick started. "I decided that I didn't want a Sandshrew after all and I let Samurai catch it." He wasn't going to be insulted.

"Ok, everyone knows that only a great trainer can handle a Sandshrew and it's evolution." He told the two boys. A.J watched as Samurai looked impressed while Nick seemed a little upset.

Nick fired right back now. "Well, it takes being a great trainer to handle all the pokemon I've caught."

A.J knew Nick took the bait and was on his hook. Now was the time. "You know what. Why don't you show me just how great you really are, how about a battle. We can have a full six-on-six battle."

Nick's face looked determined before he lowered his head in disappointment. "I'd love to, but I only have five pokemon on hand."

"Only five, a real trainer should have six by now. Especially you, considering how long you've traveled." A.J told Nick. "But, I'm in a good mood. How about a five-on-five instead."

"Ya, that's fine with me." Nick said, raising his fists in determination. He then walked over to one side of an open field while A.J did the same. "I've already beaten you once, this should be quick."

 _Wow, they weren't kidding. He really gets overconfident easily._ A.J thought to himself as he grabbed a pokeball. "Lickitung!" He yelled as the pokeball revealed a pink pokemon with a huge tongue and a short pink tail.

"Okay, Kingler I choose you." Nick yelled as he tossed the pokeball. Kingler appeared on the field and looked at Nick. He knew exactly what kingler was thinking and ducked under a stream of water that was shot at him. "Not this time, Kingler. This battle is important okay."

"The match will be between Nick and A.J." Samurai said, being the referee of the match. "The first side to have all five pokemon be unable to battle will lose. Begin!" He yelled, signaling to both trainers.

* * *

 **Like it says on my profile page, I have started school again so I won't be updating as often. However, I will update at least once a week, sometimes twice depending on how much schoolwork I have.**

 **Reviews:**

 **PerilousFate: Thank you for all the tips and advice. I will use it as I continue writing this story. However, I don't plan on changing the first chapters as I want to see if I improved at all by the end of it. Like I've told others before, I rushed through Viridian City to Cerulean City. I did it because I always hated that area in the anime. For the rivals, picture like Unova where some get along while others don't. Nick won't battle everyone at the league, but I won't say who he does and doesn't.**

 **Team:**

 **Nick- 6 badges:**

 **Eevee- swift, quick attack, dig, shadow ball**

 **Kingler- water gun, crabhammer, stomp, mud shot**

 **Charizard- flamethrower, ember, dragon rage, brick break**

 **Gastly- night shade, venoshock, hypnosis, dark pulse**

 **Hitmonchan- mach punch, agility, comet punch, thunderpunch**

 **At Oak's:**

 **Beedrill- poison sting, fury attack, twinneedle, hyper beam**

 **Shellder**

* * *

 **Samurai- league exam badge:**

 **Pinsir- x-scissor, bulldoze, harden, revenge**

 **Venonat- supersonic, tackle, foresight, signal beam**

 **Parasect- energy ball, stun spore, fury cutter, slash**

 **At home:**

 **Butterfree- aerial ace, sleep powder**

* * *

 **Janine- league exam badge:**

 **Venonat- psybeam**

 **Zubat- wing attack, supersonic, venoshock**

 **Grimer- sludge bomb, poison jab**

 **Vulpix- ember, flame charge, attract.**

* * *

 **Ebony- 8 Badges:**

 **Chameleon- fire spin, overheat, rock slide, protect**

 **Meowth- thunderbolt, fury swipes**

 **Magneton- electro ball, thunder wave**

 **Seel**


	37. A Rivalry Rumble! Nick vs AJ

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Pokemon.**

Character thoughts are italicized.

* * *

"A.J, you can have the first move!" Nick yelled, cupping his hands around his mouth to sound louder. "I don't want this to be too easy."

A.J smirked at this remark. "I'm not that worried. Lickitung, use rollout!"

The licking pokemon rolled up into a ball and charged towards Kingler with all it's might. Kingler watched the incoming attack and jumped to avoid. Lickitung however continued it's attack and while spinning managed to bounce into the air, acting like a giant bouncy ball and striking Kingler before it could counter. The normal type collided right into Kingler's abdomen causing it to lose his breath. After the attack was a success, Lickitung performed a front flip and gracefully landed on it's two feet, ready to continue battling.

Kingler on the other hand was slow to get up, having a hard time breathing after the last attack. The pincer pokemon finally managed to catch it's breath before rising slowly. It was having a hard time keeping it's balance, rocking back and forth as it rose off the ground. Kingler actually needed to use it's giant claw to help it push itself up into a standing position.

"Kingler! Are you alright!" Nick yelled in concern, he could see the painful expression on Kingler's face. Nick hated seeing his pokemon this way. He knew that they would get hurt from battling, but he still hated to see them in extreme pain like how Eevee and Charmeleon were. _That Lickitung isn't fast, but can change directions quickly. How are we going to beat something that can just change directions whenever?_ Nick thought to himself, starting to worry a little.

"Kokee." Kingler cried out slowly. It may have taken some damage, but it wasn't going down that easily. It had been through worse and it knew it could beat Lickitung. Kingler turned around and stared at Nick, waiting for a command. Instead it noticed Nick in deep thought. Kingler wasn't used to seeing this so it did the only thing it could think of, firing a water gun at Nick.

 _I've never faced something like this. What do I do?_ Nick thought to himself, sweat rolling down his face. Before he could think of anything else, he was met with a water gun attack to the face. He quickly wiped his face off and saw Kingler laughing. "You're right, Kingler. Use your water gun attack!"

Kingler fired off the water attack. Kingler was putting everything it had into this attack, and it showed. The stream of water picked up speed and grew in size, compared to how it was regularly. Kingler was not going to lose today. The attack was now close to Lickitung who still hadn't moved from it's spot.

 _What is he planning?_ Nick thought as he watched Lickitung stay still. Nick was expecting Lickitung to at least try and dodge the attack. Instead the licking pokemon took the attack head on, only letting out a slight grunt from the attack.

"Licki." It cried out as the water gun started pushing it backwards. Lickitung quickly replanted it's feet into the ground, making itself stop moving. Both Nick and Kingler were surprised to see the normal type take the full force of the attack and then keep itself sturdy enough to stay standing.

A.J smirked. "I've trained my Lickitung to overcome it's weaknesses through intense training. Instead of focusing on it's horrendous speed, I came up with a better solution." A.J said, bragging about his training methods. "Lickitung, use rollout!"

Lickitung rolled up into a ball quickly and sped off towards Kingler. They both watched as the speed of the attack had increased due to its multiple uses. Nick knew that the strength of the attack was also increased, so they couldn't risk allowing Lickitung to strike again.

Nick had to think fast, Lickitung was close to Kingler now. "Kingler, try your crabhammer attack."

The pincer pokemon pulled it's claw back, positioning it for it's signature attack. Kingler watched as Lickitung finally reached the area that crabhammer could reach. Kingler swung the claw forward and everyone watched as claw met Lickitung, sending the rampaging roller backwards. What very few noticed was how Kingler's claw seemed to sink into Lickitung instead of striking it completely.

Lickitung flew backwards as it spinned in the air. The normal type collided with a nearby tree and instead of crashing, it rebounded off of it and was heading straight back at Kingler with even more speed.

Nick didn't notice this however and was already praising Kingler. "That was a great hit, Kingler. There's no way Lickitung could keep battling after that last attack." Nick finished as he noticed a pink ball heading straight for Kingler. _It can't be.._ Nick thought, looking in disbelief at the incoming attack. Nick quickly snapped out of his shock to give Kingler a command. "Don't let that attack hit you. Jump over it when it's close to you."

Kingler waited for the ball to get closer. He watched and watched as the ball grew bigger. Finally Kingler knew that it had to jump and leaped as high as it could, managing to dodge the attack. However, just like before, Lickitung managed to change directions and was now heading into the air. Lickitung was now on a collision course with the falling Kingler and there was no way to avoid the attack.

Nick watched as Lickitung once again got the better of them. He didn't know how to counter this attack at all. They couldn't dodge as it only followed them, and they couldn't attack as Lickitung would only bounce back with more power behind it's attack. Nick finally figured a way to get kingler back on the ground. "Kingler! Calm yourself, then fire a water gun straight into the sky."

"Kokee." Kingler said, agreeing with the plan. It was the same one they used during the Fuchsia City gym battle. It helped them out then, and it would help them out now. Kingler raised it's claw as a stream of water shot out of it straight towards the sky. The force of the attack sent Kingler flying down to the Earth, managing to dodge Lickitung. Lickitung however flew into the water gun but seemed unfazed by it. Both Kingler and Nick let out a sigh of relief that they avoided that attack.

Lickitung continued to fly through the air before landing back on the ground. Lickitung quickly prepared itself to continue battling, but it was starting to grow a little fatigued. Despite working with A.J on constantly using rollout, it still took a lot out of you from using it consistently.

Nick noticed the change in breathing and wasn't going to lose this opportunity. "Kingler, fire a mud shot at Lickitung. Quickly!"

Kingler opened it's claw once more, firing balls of mud straight at Lickitung. The mud balls collided with Lickitung. Both A.J and his pokemon were surprised by how fast Kingler could still move at. Lickitung dropped to one knee, it was showing signs of exhaustion but A.J knew that the normal type could go on.

"Kingler, charge at them with crabhammer!" Nick yelled. Both himself and Kingler were having to play defensively the whole battle, and they were not going to miss their chance at this offensive assault.

 _Perfect._ A.J thought as he watched Kingler charge after Lickitung. _I could use this to my advantage._ Kingler was now closing in, so A.J had no time to waste. "Lickitung, use defense curl!"

Lickitung rolled it's whole body up into a ball just as Kingler's claw crashed into it's body, sending it flying backwards. The strength of the attack causing Lickitung to start spinning slowly before picking up momentum.

"Lickitung, use rollout now!" A.J yelled out. His plan was simple. Lickitung was too tired to get rollout up to it's max speed, so by using Kingler's attack to start the spinning it would just continue rolling instead of trying to stop.

Lickitung starting spinning in mid air. It's body was starting to move faster and faster until it was now even faster than last. Lickitung crashed into another tree as it bounced off of it and redirected itself towards Kingler. The pincer pokemon had no time to react and was struck directly, causing it to fly backwards and land in front of Nick.

* * *

"I think I've figured Lickitung out." Janine said, starting to explain everything to Ebony. "Lickitung's outside is soft, so instead of being real hard and stiff like when other pokemon use rollout, it's actually acting like a rubber ball. That's how it's changing directions so quickly. When it chases Kingler into the air, it's just bouncing into the sky."

Ebony was catching on now. "It makes sense. That's why it keeps bouncing off of the other objects. A.J wasn't kidding when he said Lickitung was trained to overcome it's weaknesses. It also makes sense on why crabhammer sunk into rollout instead of colliding with it." The two trainers then stood up from their spot on the cliff. "Let's head down there to get a better view." The duo then started to walk down and around the cliff, heading down towards the route.

* * *

Nick watched as Kingler was having a hard time getting back on it's feet. It wasn't defeated yet, but at this rate it wouldn't take much more. "Kingler, return." Nick said, surprising everyone. Nick rarely switched out midbattle. _Who do I use?_ Nick thought to himself. _Hitmonchan will only increase rollout's speed like crabhammer did. Charizard would be weak to a rock type attack like rollout. Plus who knows what other moves it might have. That leaves Eevee and Gastly._ Nick was having a hard time deciding on who to use. "Okay, Gastly, I choose you!" Nick yelled as he tossed a pokeball. Gastly soon emerged from the ball, ready to battle.

 _Gastly can slow Lickitung down. Plus it can get away quickly from any attack._ Nick thought, approving his own selection. "Gastly use dark pulse."

Gastly phased out of site before reappearing behind Lickitung. Gastly launched the black and purple beam of energy at the normal type, giving it no time to react. Before A.J could even say a word, the attack hit Lickitung right in the stomach sending it backwards a little.

Lickitung was starting to breath harder and it took a while to stand back up. Everyone could see how exhausted the licking pokemon was, yet A.J wouldn't switch it out. "Licki.." It panted as it readied itself to continue battling.

"That's right." A.J told his pokemon. "We've worked hard on your endurance and we won't go down easily. Trap Gastly with your lick attack."

"Lickitung!" The normal type launched it's incredible tongue in Gastly's direction at an outstanding speed. Gastly had no time to react before the tongue had already reached it. Gastly tried to evade it at the last second, but the tongue wrapped around Gastly's whole body making it impossible to move.

"Great! Now reel it in and once its close use zen headbut!" A.J commanded as he raised his hand, signaling a thumbs up to his pokemon.

Lickitung's tongue started to retract back inside of Lickitung, pulling Gastly alongside with it. The ghost type squirmed inside of the death grip it was receiving from Lickitung. If it could only get free, then it could finish off Lickitung. As the tongue started to shrink more and more, Lickitung's head started to glow blue.

 _Come on Nick! Think of something, you always figure out something. If you don't, Gastly's done for._ Nick yelled at himself. He was right though, a direct hit would be awful right now. This Lickitung was proving to be an annoyance and Nick could only wonder what A.J's other pokemon were like. _That's it!_ He thought as he noticed Gastly's eyes. "Gastly, use dark pulse again!"

Gastly's eyes started to glow once again as it launched the beam of energy at Lickitung. Lickitung however wasn't sitting around. The normal type had pulled Gastly in close enough and was charging at it. Lickitung ran directly into the oncoming attack causing an explosion to occur from the collision. Smoke filled the field as everyone's vision was blocked.

"Gastly!" Nick yelled out, only to get no response.

A.J did the same as he yelled out for his pokemon. "Lickitung, I know you have more in you." But even he received no response.

The two trainers waited until the smoke finally cleared, showing the two pokemon holding their spots. Neither one backing down despite fatigue setting in. Before anyone could issue another command however, Lickitung collapsed to the ground. The normal type fainted from it's two lengthy battles.

"Lickitung is unable to battle. The winner is Gastly!" Samurai declared as he pointed to Gastly.

A.J frowned at this. He believed that Lickitung should be able to withstand at least a few more attacks. They had trained extremely hard. "Return." He said, recalling the normal type. A.J wasted no time on his next selection, having already made up his mind during the battle. "Dodrio!" He yelled, tossing the pokeball to reveal the three headed bird.

"Gastly, be extremely careful. Dodrio can attack from each of their heads." Nick called out. He could see Gastly had taken some damage from Lickitung's last attack, but he didn't want to switch out again. Kingler was already pretty exhausted so that left Nick with three fresh pokemon to A.J's four.

"Dodrio, start things off with your feint attack." A.J called out, he was not someone to sit back and wait.

Dodrio was immediately off and running. Nick was impressed with it's speed and was a little surprised to see it appear before Gastly so soon. Dodrio stopped running and was now on Gastly's left. Gastly turned to face Dodrio only for it to have vanished. Gastly immediately felt pain throughout it's whole body as a stabbing sensation ran through it's back. Gastly turned around and saw Dodrio standing behind it now.

"Gastly, use venoshock!" Nick told the ghost type. With Dodrio this close Nick was not wasting this opportunity.

Gastly opened it's mouth as it fired off the poisonous substance. The purple slime flew towards Dodrio and Nick was starting to feel confident about the attack. He then looked over to A.J and didn't see any sign of emotion at all.

A.J, remaining calm, called out an attack. "Use agility to dodge."

Dodrio began running at an amazing speed. If Nick thought Dodrio was fast before, he should watch it closely now. Despite the close proximity it had to Gastly, the triple bird pokemon avoided the slime with ease. In the blink of an eye it was now standing in front of it's trainer, waiting for an attack.

"Gastly?" The ghost type asked. It was surprised that it's attack missed. Gastly thought for sure it was going to strike Dodrio directly, but instead the attack just landed on the ground harmlessly.

This gave Nick an idea however. _Dodrio isn't like other flying types. It lacks wings to fly. So if we cover the ground in venoshock, it'll have no where to run. Then it won't matter how fast Dodrio is._ Nick thought to himself, creating the perfect plan to counter Dodrio's speed. "Gastly!" Nick called out. "Start spinning as fast as you can, then launch venoshock!"

Gastly started to twirl in a circle, not once losing it's balance since it was just floating gas. Once Gastly picked up enough speed, the ghost type opened it's mouth and fired off the attack. Nick watched as Gastly shot the purple slime all over the field, very soon Dodrio would have no where to run to. Once the entire field was covered Gastly stopped spinning and prepared itself to continue battling.

"Now that we have Dodrio trapped, use dark pulse!"

Gastly fired the attack straight at Dodrio. Everyone was expecting a direct hit since Dodrio couldn't run anywhere. Then the unthinkable happened. Dodrio twisted it's heads together, creating a propeller and lifting itself into the air. It flew right over the dark pulse, avoiding any damage.

"But... how?" Nick asked, unsure of the answer himself. He heard of overcoming weaknesses, but this was taking it to the extreme. He had never seen a flightless bird fly, in fact he was still surprised when A.J launched a counter attack.

"Dodrio, sky attack, now!" A.J yelled. He saw an opportunity and he was taking it.

Dodrio stopped twisting it's heads and instead dive bombed straight towards Gastly. As it was falling, Dodrio continued to pick up speed to the point that it's entire body gained a white outline.

"Gastly don't let it hit you. Fire your dark pulse to make it lose it's aim."

Gastly fired the beam again, but by this time A.J had seen it enough to know what it would do. He also could tell Gastly was still weak from the earlier battle with Lickitung. Dodrio knew that if it didn't hear any new orders then it was to continue the attack. Dodrio leveled off once it was eye level with Gastly and glided towards it. Dodrio saw the oncoming attack, but continued forward. A.J was right, the attack was a weakened version as Dodrio dove right through it and collided with Gastly.

The force of the attack sent Gastly flying backwards in pain. Nick knew this wouldn't be good, but was holding out hope that Gastly could continue fighting. Luck would not be on Nick's side however as Gastly fainted from the attack.

"Gastly is unable to battle, the winner is Dodrio!" Samurai declared, pointing towards Dodrio.

Nick held up a pokeball as he recalled Gastly. "You did great today, take a nice rest." Nick pondered over his next choice. _Its either Charizard, or I try and go with a double knockout with Kingler. His Dodrio must have taken some damage during the match, it just isn't showing any signs of it._ Nick thought to himself.

As Nick was thinking, Janine and Ebony finally reached the others.

"How's it going, what have we missed?" Ebony asked impatiently. She was curious how these two were battling. Ebony knew she might have to face them at the league, but she couldn't really get a good view as they made their way over to them.

"Its close. A.J just knocked Gastly out with an amazing technique. Nick really has his hands full this time." Samurai said, filling the two trainers in on what they missed. He then added. "Kingler is also tired and A.J has lost his Lickitung. Nick has to keep his confidence in check or else it could be his undoing."

"So you noticed it also?" Janine asked. She didn't know if Samurai had picked up on that yet. "I had noticed it during his gym match with Sabrina and his battle with Zach. Both times he seemed overconfident, but he still did fine. I don't know how he'll do in the league if it continues."

"Well, if it goes like his match with Lt. Surge, he'll lose. Some trainers try and mess with you, they want you to not think clearly. Then they'll have the advantage." Ebony said. "Erika explained how I just have to drown them out while I battle. I think Nick also needs to drown out any compliments he receives. They might only hurt him."

"You really learned a lot from Erika, didn't you?" Samurai asked. "More than you are letting on, right?" He inquired, trying to see if she learned anything new that could be applied to her battling style.

"Maybe." She replied, rubbing the back of her neck. "Hey, Nick decided finally." Ebony said, pointing to Nick.

"Kingler, I choose you." Nick said, deciding to use the pincer pokemon for the second time today. Kingler wasn't breathing as hard, but it was still pretty tired.

Ebony, Janine and Samurai were confused. "Why would he use Kingler?" Janine wondered.

"He's not thinking straight." Samurai thought. "He's too stubborn. If we try and give him advice he'll only ignore us."

"Samurai is right. If he really wants to win, he should have used someone fresh." Ebony said, picking up on what Samurai was saying. Nick had to switch Kingler out midbattle and now he went right back to it, allowing it a chance to win.

"This isn't like Nick. He usually thinks things out." Janine said, wondering what was going on in Nick's head. "Did A.J say anything to Nick before the match?"

"Well, I remember him saying how Nick wasn't a good trainer. That comment set Nick off and he challenged A.J to a battle." Samurai explained, retelling the events from earlier.

"So he's letting what others say get to him again." Ebony said before looking at Janine, the duo both thought that the plan was working.

"Kingler use your water gun attack!" Nick commanded of the pincer pokemon.

Kingler lifted it's claw and fired at the flying type. The stream of water was slower than usual, a sign that Kingler was still tired from it's earlier match. A.J watched as the attack drew near, not showing any signs of nervousness.

"Dodrio, dodge and then counter with drill peck!"

Dodrio ran to its left, dodging the attack rather easily. The flying type then picked up its speed as it charged toward Kingler. As it drew closer the three beaks started to spin, followed by Dodrio lunging its three heads at Kingler.

Kingler managed to dodge the attack at first, but the difference in stamina was obvious. Dodrio continued to come at Kingler at full speed while Kingler began slowing down. Eventually one of Dodrio's heads landed at hit, causing the water type to lose its balance. Seeing an opening, Dodrio continued striking, causing Kingler to fall over.

A.J, growing tired of the match, decided to end it. "Dodrio, put everything you have into one more drill peck!"

"Drioooo!" The three heads yelled in agreement. The bird then continued its assault on Kingler. Its beaks began spinning once more, Dodrio reared its heads back ready to provide the finishing blow.

 _This is bad. We've got to try something, if not then Kingler is finished._ Nick thought to himself, he was starting to sweat from the situation. Finally, right as Dodrio was about to strike, an idea came to him. "Kingler! Use crabhammer with both of your claws!"

"This should be interesting." Samurai said to himself, he too was getting into this match. Part of him wished he was battling, while another part was glad he wasn't.

Ebony, who happened to overhear him, wanted to know why this is interesting. "What makes you say that? Its just a normal attack."

"No." Janine said, she had picked up on the same thing as Samurai. "Kingler is tired so its movements will be slower. Even though Nick's attacking with two claws, Dodrio is charging at them with three heads." She explained while using her fingers to help give a picture. "Nick is hoping that Kingler can knock back all three heads in a short amount of time, he isn't thinking about Kingler's fatigue." Janine finished, showing how her two fingers on one hand blocked two of the three on the opposite only to be hit by the third finger.

Both Samurai and Ebony sweat dropped at the explanation. "I just meant that this could be a finishing move for both of them and it would be fun to watch." Samurai explained, he never thought of it that complexed.

As Samurai finished his statement, the two pokemon began their clash. Kingler's first claw crashed into Dodrio's left head. Then his second claw blocked the right head, but the pincer pokemon was too tired to be able to block the center head. Kingler was then struck right in the middle of it's face.

"Alright, Dodrio! Finish it with one more drill peck."

Dodrio lunged once again at Kingler , who was still recovering from the last attack. The water type tried to block the oncoming attack, but was too slow from it's fatigue and was hit every time. The strength and amount of hits causing it to faint.

"Kingler is unable to battle, the winner is Dodrio!" Samurai called out.

"Kingler return!" Nick called out as he recalled it to it's pokeball. Nick started to think about his next pokemon, but was pulled out of his thoughts by A.J.

"That was pretty dumb." He said, A.J waited a few seconds before continuing. "You knew Kingler was already exhausted, but you used it anyway. If you ever think you'll win a league championship, you're mistaken. You make too many mistakes."

"I hate to say it, but A.J is right." Samurai said, receiving stares from his two friends. "Nick lets people get to him, they cloud his judgement. He needs to stop worrying about how others see him as a trainer and worry about how he thinks of himself."

 _Who does he think he is?_ Nick thought to himself as he reached for his next pokeball. "Charizard, I choose you!"

"Rawwrr!" The fire and flying type yelled upon being sent out. It was ready to start battling, no matter who the opponent was.

 _Dodrio is getting tired. It did just battle twice in a row, a good rest should do it well._ A.J thought, raising Dodrio's pokeball. "Dodrio, return! Go, Rhyhorn!" The two pokemon switched places as Dodrio returned to it's pokeball and Rhyhorn appeared from it's.

"This isn't a good match up for Nick." Janine pointed out. She was right, a rock type like Rhyhorn had a 4x advantage over Charizard.

"If he saved Kingler, he could have used it now." Ebony said, criticizing the way Nick has battled. "Out of the pokemon he has remaining, none are really good against Rhyhorn. Maybe Hitmonchan, but only if it could get in close enough to land a punch."

"Nick really put himself at a disadvantage now." Samurai said, agreeing with Ebony. "He did it, so he'll get himself out of it. He needs to learn this won't work in the league."

"Charizard start off by getting into the air, that way Rhyhorn can't hit you." Nick explained to his pokemon. Charizard took off into the sky with no complaints. After it's last battle, it wasn't in a rush to get into close quarter battles. "Okay, now use flamethrower!"

"Rawwr!" Charizard yelled as flames shot out of it's mouth. The size of the fire was amazing, in fact Samurai, Janine and Ebony could feel the heat coming off of it from where they were.

"Rhyhorn counter with your flamethrower!" A.J called out, to everyone's surprise.

"Rhy!" It cried out. Rhyhorn then produced it's own set of flames. The attack wasn't as strong as Charizard's, but managed to weaken the blow. The two flamethrowers met in mid air, hitting against each other. Charizard's flame overpowered Rhyhorn's rather easily, engulfing the rock type in fire.

Nick watched as Rhyhorn sat there, taking the flames head on. The attack had to weaken Rhyhorn somewhat, there was no way it could take that big of a hit and still be perfectly fine.

Rhyhorn was still covered in flames when it decided to break free. "Rhyhorn!" It yelled, creating wind with just it's voice. The very strength of the cry was enough to put out the flames.

"Perfect, Rhyhorn. Now use stealth rock!" A.J was enjoying himself with this battle. It wasn't everyday he had to try. He was invested in this match and he was going to make sure he would win.

Rhyhorn didn't move at all. Nick was wondering how the attack would work, having never seen a stealth rock attack in person. Out of nowhere, rocks started to shoot out of Rhyhorn's backside. The stones however didn't attack Charizard, instead the stones were spread around the field.

 _I don't know what A.J has planned, but Charizard can handle whatever it is._ Nick thought to himself, wondering what his next move should be.

A.J wasn't waiting around for Nick to counter and instead launched another attack. "Rock blast, Rhyhorn. Attack before they can counter!"

"Rhy." The spikes pokemon said, agreeing with A.J's plan. The rock type opened it's mouth, firing off multiple boulders at Charizard. One after another the boulders were shot into the air at Charizard, who continued dodging them thanks to it's aerial mobility. Charizard weaved around each boulder as they approached the fire type, exhibiting it's great flying skills.

Despite how well Charizard was doing, Nick knew that it couldn't keep this up forever. _Dodging forever is only going to tire Charizard out, we have to come up with a plan._ Nick watched as Charizard continued dodging, the way it's tail was moving gave Nick an idea.

"Charizard! Use dragon tail to knock those boulders back at Rhyhorn."

Charizard nodded in agreement it's tail changed, it turned green and was covered in dragon scales. The fire type managed to knock the first few away before getting struck by one in the stomach. Charizard wasn't fazed by the attack, even after getting hit it continued to knock the boulders back. A few of the boulders were now hitting Rhyhorn. To everyone's surprise, one of the boulders got lodged in Rhyhorn's mouth causing it to be unable to attack.

"Great job at stopping the attack." Nick said, giving Charizard a thumbs up. The fire type responded back by flexing it's right arm while giving off a mighty roar. "Now isn't the time to celebrate just yet, attack Rhyhorn with dragon tail!"

Charizard flew towards Rhyhorn while it's tail changed into it's draconic state. As Charizard drew closer it started to perform a front flip making it look like it's whole body was green. Rhyhorn tried to free the boulder from it's mouth, but was unsuccessful in every attempt. It could only watch as Charizard's tail slammed down on it's head, freeing the boulder and forcing Rhyhorn back into it's pokeball.

"What did you do to Rhyhorn?" A.J demanded, he never told Rhyhorn to return but it did so anyway. Before an answer could be given, Sandslash appeared on the field. The ground type was confused by the situation. "Sandslash? I never called you out."

"Dragon tail is a move where if the opponent is hit, it is returned to it's pokeball and replaced in battle with a different pokemon." Nick explained to his confused opponent. "Now, Charizard use flamethrower!"

Charizard roared in approval before unleashing his signature move. Fire collided with Sandslash causing mild damage to the ground type, but not enough for A.J to worry.

"A direct hit, Charizard. Sandslash must have felt that one." Nick told his pokemon. He knew that out of all his pokemon, Charizard was probably his strongest at this point.

A.J watched on without any sense of worry. When the flames died down, Sandslash appeared to be slightly hurt from the attack. "Sandslash, use stone edge!"

"Sandslash!" The mouse pokemon cried as it summoned sharpened stones all around it's body. Sandslash then fired them all at Charizard.

Nick wasted no time and immediately used the same strategy he used with rock blast. "Block those stones with dragon tail, Charizard!"

Charizard's tail turned green with scales once more as the fire type redirected the flying stones away from itself. Unfortunately, Charizard couldn't force what direction it wanted the stones to be sent in due to the amount of them.

By the time the attack was finished, both pokemon looked a little tired. "Sandslash!" A.J yelled out towards his pokemon. "You can't be tired yet, we've trained to increase your stamina and toughness. Use another stone edge!"

"Sand.." The mouse pokemon panted, it dug deep down within itself and fired off another round of stones. This time they traveled faster, catching Charizard by surprise and hitting him directly.

The fire type fell to the ground with a thud, tired from all the damage it had taken. Charizard managed to stand back up however and to show that it wasn't ready to quit, it fired off a flamethrower into the sky.

"That's the spirit, Charizard. We both know you can beat Sandslash!" Nick yelled out, trying not to pay attention to Charizard's fatigue. "Lets show them a real flamethrower!"

"Rawwrr!" Charizard yelled as it aimed it's flamethrower right at Sandslash. A blast of flames flew right towards Sandslash, who seemed unfazed by the attack.

"Sandstorm, Sandslash!" A.J called out, not missing a beat.

Sandslash kicked up sand and dirt all around it's body, causing a horrible storm to form. The thickness made it impossible to see and the strength of the wind caused Charizard to land. It wouldn't be able to fly in these conditions. Nick watched as the flamethrower was weakened by the battering of the sand and wind, leaving it with almost none of the original ferocity. No one could tell if Sandslash was hit or not, they could only sit there and listen to any noise that was louder than the storm.

"Charizard, Sandslash could come from any direction. Be prepared by launching a flamethrower while spinning." Nick was still playing defensively despite everything he tried. Even when he thought he gained the advantage, it was still used against him.

Charizard started spinning as fast as it's legs would allow it to. Eventually a flame appeared, engulfing the entire storm in fire. Charizard's flamethrower ate away at the sand, destroying the storm and making it easy to see again.

With visibility back, it would be easy to target Sandslash or at least Nick thought. "Where's Sandslash?" He asked, seeing no trace of the ground type at all.

"Now, Sandslash!" A.J commanded as the ground beneath Charizard started to break, showing that Sandslash burrowed underground. "Now use stone edge!"

Sandslash fired off the rock move for the third time, but this one seemed the strongest. With no space between the two pokemon, every stone from the attack hit Charizard head on inflicting major damage. As a defense mechanism, Charizard swatted Sandslash with it's tail once it was struck with stone edge.

Sandslash crashed down into the ground a few feet away from Charizard. Both pokemon took their time rising. They were both at their max, both trainers didn't know how much strength they had left. They both decided to end it now.

"Sandslash, hyper beam!"

"Charizard, flamethrower!"

The two pokemon charged up their attacks, with Charizard firing it's first. Sandslash on the other hand was having trouble charging the attack, it had the energy forming in it's mouth but not at the rate it wanted. Sandslash noticed that Charizard launched it's attack and fired away as well. The two attacks collided mid-field, creating an explosion. Both pokemon were launched backwards from this assult, leaving both of them unable to battle.

"Both Charizard and Sandslash are unable to battle, both trainers please choose their next pokemon!" Samurai declared, signaling that neither pokemon was in any condition to continue.

 _Now what? I was sure Charizard could withstand that attack. If I send Hitmonchan out, A.J will use Dodrio. But if I use Eevee, who knows what pokemon he'll use._ Nick thought to himself, it was a lose-lose situation. A.J had this battle in his favor. He still had Dodrio, Rhyhorn and a third unused pokemon. "Hitmonchan, I choose you!" He yelled, tossing the pokeball.

Nick watched as Hitmonchan appeared on the field as his calm, collected self. "Chan!" It cried out in pain, surprising Nick. At one moment it was fine and then out of nowhere, he was in pain. Nick looked around and quickly noticed the stealth rocks from before were jabbing into Hitmonchan.

"Hitmonchan, are you alright?" Nick asked in concern, he had never faced a stealth rock attack before and never knew how powerful it could be.

"You enjoying my stealth rocks?" A.J asked sarcastically. Before Nick could answer, he was already tossing his next pokeball. "Dodrio! Use your drill peck attack!"

Dodrio appeared from the pokeball and immediately charged at Hitmonchan, it's three beaks spinning at an alarming speed.

 _Just like I thought._ Nick told himself. He had a feeling that it would be Dodrio. "Hitmonchan, counter with mach punch!"

"Hitmon!" The punching pokemon cried as he charged at Dodrio. With it's amazing speed, Hitmonchan reached the flying type in no time. Dodrio tried to strike down on Hitmonchan with it's drill peck attack, but Hitmonchan was too fast. He dodged the attack by jumping over Dodrio and landing behind it. It then delivered a hard jab right to it's back, causing the bird to stop running and cry out in pain.

"Now, comet punch, Hitmonchan!"

Hitmonchan delivered a flurry of punches to Dodrio. For Hitmonchan, Dodrio was nothing but a punching back. Unable to dodge as it was out sped, A.J could only watch as his Dodrio took hit after hit. On the final punch however, Hitmonchan launched it into the sky with an uppercut.

"Perfect." A.J said to himself as he watched Dodrio head into the sky. He watched as Dodrio recovered from the onslaught of attacks and fixed it's body position as it fell back towards the ground. It knew exactly what A.J was thinking. "Dodrio, sky attack!"

Dodrio straightened it's body out as it was now picking up speed. Once again A.J used an attack from Nick to strengthen his own. As Dodrio came down to the field, it had it's body become parallel to the ground as it's body started to glow white.

"Hitmonchan, counter with thunderpunch!" Nick demanded. There was no way he was letting Hitmonchan lose.

Hitmonchan's fists started to spark with electricity as he thrusted them forward, connecting with two of Dodrio's three heads. Two of the heads cried out in pain as the thrid one struck Hitmonchan in the chest, the force being strong enough to send it flying backwards.

The two pokemon were panting hard now. It was expected of Dodrio, this was it's third battle, but Hitmonchan couldn't have taken that much damage. The punching pokemon raised it's fists, ready for round two as Dodrio was soon charging at him.

"Dodrio, use your agility to gain a speed boost." A.J called out, this match was getting close and he wanted to end it soon.

Dodrio ran towards Hitmonchan gaining speed the longer it ran, it eventually became so fast you could see a trail of a white line behind it. The flying type circled Hitmonchan, awaiting the next command to attack.

"Now, drill peck!"

As Dodrio ran circles around Hitmonchan, it constantly poked it's heads at the fighting type. The barrage of attacks were becoming too much for Hitmonchan as he dropped to one knee from the pain. Hitmonchan was starting to become too tired to stand now and Nick needed a plan. He needed to find a way to slow down Dodrio.

Nick then came up with a plan once he saw how Dodrio's heads were attacking. "Hitmonchan!" Nick yelled to get his pokemon's attention. "Put your arms out to your sides, fully extended like a board. Then use thunderpunch!"

"Hitmon.. chan." It said softly. It started to lift it's arms like Nick explained while his fists filled with an electrical current. After a short amount of time, Hitmonchan had his arms in the right position and noticed what Nick noticed. As Dodrio was running, Hitmonchan's fists were hitting the sides of the bird causing damage to it. All Hitmonchan had to do was hold out long enough. The punching pokemon visualized all the other pokemon on Nick's team, right now he was fighting for them. Hitmonchan was using every ounce of energy to stay from fainting, but all the damage from those super effective moves were too much as he felt himself collapse on the ground unable to continue to fight.

"Hitmonchan, no!" Nick called out to his fallen pokemon.

"Hitmonchan is unable to battle, the winner is Dodrio!" Samurai declared as he pointed in Dodrio's direction.

"Thank you Hitmonchan, I know this was a tough match up, but you did great." Nick said, praising his pokemon as he recalled it to it's pokeball. Nick now only had one pokemon left, Eevee. Nick's closest friend, his starting pokemon on his journey. They had gone through so much together, overcoming challenges along the way and they weren't ready to throw in the towel yet. "Eevee, I choose you!"

"Eevee." It cried out, before yelling out in pain because of the stealth rocks. Both Nick and Eevee knew this was going to be hard, Dodrio wasn't effected by half of Eevee's moves.

"Eevee, use swift!"

Eevee swung it's tail around as a group of stars were created. The stars chased after Dodrio, who merely jumped over them. However, the stars changed direction and hit Dodrio in the back.

"Dodrio, stop messing around and end this. Use drill peck!"

Dodrio rushed at Eevee, hoping to end the match in one hit. Nick and Eevee had a different idea however.

"Eevee, use dig to dodge." Nick commanded. Right now they were desperate enough to try anything.

Eevee faced the ground as it started to claw away at the earth underneath it's body. It managed to create a tunnel thick enough for it to escape into, dodging the drill peck. Eevee waited underground for Nick to signal when to attack.

Nick watched Dodrio continue running even after missing. He needed Dodrio to stand still for one moment or the plan wouldn't work. Finally Dodrio stopped to catch it's breath, giving Nick his opportunity. "Eevee, use quick attack!"

Eevee quickly flew up through the ground at a fast speed. Eevee had been listening for Dodrio so it could pinpoint it's location when it attacked. Eevee crashed right into Dodrio's stomach, causing it to shoot into the sky from the momentum.

A.J didn't mind this turn of events, thinking that if he used the same idea three times it would work. "Use sky attack!"

Dodrio dive bombed straight for Eevee, picking up speed as it launched it's finishing attack. As Dodrio reached the ground it leveled off, becoming parallel with the ground before charging at Eevee.

Nick however had seen this move twice today and knew what to expect. He waited until Dodrio got close to Eevee before countering. "Eevee! Jump now!" Nick demanded. Eevee jumped just like Nick said, landing on Dodrio's back. "Now use swift!"

Eevee launched the star attack at it's opponent, causing some nice damage due to the proximity. Dodrio then lost it's balance because of the attack, falling and sending Eevee flying off it's back. By the time Dodrio recovered, A.J was already getting an attack ready.

"Dodrio, use agility followed by sky attack on the ground." A.J said, he knew it was impossible to get into the sky now, but needed Dodrio's strongest move.

"Driooo!" The three heads cried in unison as they raced toward Eevee. Thanks to the speed boost it was easier to power up sky attack despite the fatigue. Dodrio then charged forward, placing all of it's energy into this last attack.

"Eevee, use swift!"

Eevee started to fire off it's stars in a rapid fire like approach, however, Dodrio managed to crash right through them with ease. It then collided with Eevee right as it fired off one more swift. An explosion occured and both pokemon were caught in it. Smoke blocked out everyone's view, leaving the outcome in question.

When the smoke cleared everyone saw Eevee still standing, but panting. Dodrio however had fainted from the attack and the fact that this was it's fourth battle. "Eevee, you did it. Great job!" Nick called out, but as Nick was saying this, Eevee collapsed from it's exhaustion.

"Both Dodrio and Eevee are unable to battle. Since Nick has had all five of his pokemon defeated, A.J is the winner!" Samurai declared, signaling to A.J that he won.

"I lost... again." Nick muttered to himself, he didn't know how he lost. Nick then walked out to Eevee, picking up his exhausted pokemon. "My strategies never fail, but A.J still won." He looked across the field to notice A.J recalling Dodrio before walking towards Nick.

"I hope this was a wake up call." A.J said, you could tell he was disappointed with the battle by both his body language and the tone of his voice. "You worry about what other's think. Tell me, if I didn't say anything about your skills, would you have still acted the same way. Trying to show that your pokemon can overcome any situation."

"Well, yes and no." Nick answered, he was seeing where A.J was headed. Nick was too busy trying to show how great he was as a trainer by using the wrong pokemon in certain situations. Nick realized a few of his mistakes. _Kingler was still exhausted when I sent him out a second time. And Charizard had bad matchups twice. I overestimated myself both times, never taking my pokemon into consideration._

A.J could see Nick was starting to realize his mistakes. "You need to stop worrying about everything. Who cares what people think of you, let your battles do your talking and right now that battle didn't tell me how good you can be." He said, telling Nick everything he realized. He then turned around and started walking away. "I expect you to work on this. Battle with a clear mind, determined to overcome anything, but wise enough to know when you're in a losing situation. I'll be waiting at the league for our rematch!" He yelled out over his shoulder as he continued to walk out of view.

* * *

 **Team:**

 **Nick- 6 badges:**

 **Eevee- swift, quick attack, dig, shadow ball**

 **Kingler- water gun, crabhammer, stomp, mud shot**

 **Charizard- flamethrower, ember, dragon tail, brick break**

 **Gastly- night shade, venoshock, hypnosis, dark pulse**

 **Hitmonchan- mach punch, agility, comet punch, thunderpunch**

 **At Oak's:**

 **Beedrill- poison sting, fury attack, twinneedle, hyper beam**

 **Shellder**

* * *

 **Samurai- league exam badge:**

 **Pinsir- x-scissor, bulldoze, harden, revenge**

 **Venonat- supersonic, poison fang, confusion, signal beam**

 **Parasect- energy ball, stun spore, fury cutter, slash**

 **At home:**

 **Butterfree- aerial ace, sleep powder**

* * *

 **Janine- league exam badge:**

 **Venonat- psybeam**

 **Zubat- wing attack, supersonic, venoshock**

 **Grimer- sludge bomb, poison jab**

 **Vulpix- ember, flame charge, attract.**

* * *

 **Ebony- 8 Badges:**

 **Chameleon- fire spin, overheat, rock slide, protect**

 **Meowth- thunderbolt, fury swipes**

 **Magneton- electro ball, thunder wave**

 **Seel**


	38. Nick's Resolve- An Electrifying Rematch

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Pokemon.**

Character thoughts are italicized.

* * *

 _You need to stop worrying about everything. Who cares what people think of you, let your battles do your talking and right now that battle didn't tell me how good you can be. I expect you to work on this. Battle with a clear mind, determined to overcome anything, but wise enough to know when you're in a losing situation._

A.J's last words continued ringing through Nick's head. He was now back at the Pokemon Center waiting for his pokemon to be healed. The whole time he couldn't stop thinking about that battle. _I let them all down._ He thought as he stood up. _I don't deserve to be called a trainer if I put myself before my pokemon._ Nick then headed for the exit, needing to clear his head.

A hand moved in front of him, blocking his path. When Nick looked up, he realized it was Ebony's. "Where do you think you're going?" She asked. "You should be waiting for your pokemon before heading off. They did just get pretty beat up." She finished, crossing her arms across her chest.

"I'm not in the mood." Was all Nick said as he walked past Ebony. "I need to think somethings over." With that, Nick was out the front door and walking down the street.

"Who does he think he is? Just leaving his pokemon here while he heads off to who knows where." Ebony said, growing upset at her fellow Pallet Town trainer.

Before she could continue her rant, Janine walked over and placed a hand on Ebony's shoulder. "This is a hard time for Nick. He needs to think over everything that's happened these past few days. It's best that we all let him be right now." She then walked away, sitting down on one of the couches inside the Center.

Elsewhere, Nick continued his walk through Vermilion City wondering what his problem was. His head was down, his hat pulled over his eyes as he pictured each of his pokemon fainting. "Why do I even want to be a trainer? What is my goal in life? Am I only using pokemon to get attention for myself? If that's the case then I might as well quit." He said, kicking a rock down the street.

As he continued walking, Nick overheard a commotion and decided to see what the noise was about. He turned around the corner and noticed two children having a battle. They both were using Rattata and were going at each other. Nick watched as the battle continued, the two kids looked to be around four years old, not old enough to be actual trainers.

"My Rattata is the strongest in all of Kanto! Use tackle!" The first kid yelled out. He was wearing a red t-shirt with jeans. He had straight black hair that was average length.

"Well, my Rattata is the strongest in the whole world! Use your tackle!" The second kid declared. This boy was wearing a yellow t-shirt with blue shorts on. He also had straight black hair, but his was short.

The two Rattata collided with each other, trying to push the other into the ground. Nick watched on, amazed at the two kids and their determination. It reminded Nick of when he was that age.

* * *

 _Flashback_

 _"_ Grandma, can I take care of some of the pokemon?" Nick asked his grandma, they were outside taking care of the pokemon left at the day-care. Right now it was time to feed them.

"Do you know who gets what to eat?" She replied, playing around with Nick.

"Yes. I've read your old books on pokemon. I've learned so much, like how different pokemon of the same species can like different flavors of food." He answered cheerfully. This was the first time Nick had been allowed to take care of any pokemon. He was always too young before the day-care was moved to Pallet Town.

"Alright, I see, you have been learning. Now, we need food for a Caterpie, a Gloom and an Ekans. Can you bring the food to them?" Grandma asked, pointing to the plates of food.

"Of course. If I'm going to be a great trainer one day, I'm going to have to learn about caring for my pokemon." Nick said, grinning from ear to ear while carrying the plates. Not only was he hanging around pokemon, he saw his grandparents for the first time since he moved to Pallet. He then placed the food down before stopping in his tracks. "Grandma, you think I'm going to be a good trainer, right?"

"Nick," she said, returning Nick's smile with her own. "I know you'll do great when it's your time. You care for all pokemon, how many kids your age take care of all these pokemon? As long as you remember to care for them properly and remember why you travel while having fun, you'll always be a great trainer."

* * *

 _But… why do I travel?_ He asked himself as the battle was coming to a conclusion. "How can I be the best that I can be, if I don't know what it takes to become the best in my own eyes?" He sighed at his frustration. He wasn't upset because of the loss, but because of what A.J told him, A.J was right, he did worry about what others thought about him.

Just then, the second Rattata was overpowered and pushed into the ground. "No, Rattata, are you okay?" The child called out. Rattata made no response, it had fainted upon crashing into the ground.

"See, I told you." The first child said. "Your battling style is wrong. You should really use my style, I've beaten you every time." The kid then started walking back into the house.

"No, me and Rattata battle how we like to! One day we'll win!" The remaining child yelled back. He picked up his Rattata before heading inside as well.

Nick couldn't help but laugh to himself. "They remind me of myself and the other Pallet Town trainers from my class."

* * *

 _Flashback_

"Okay class, who can tell me what the best kind of battle style is?" Professor Oak asked his class. "Yes, Nick?" He said, calling on one of the students.

"The best style is the one that leads to the most victories. If you keep losing, then you should realize your style doesn't work." A young Nick called out.

"Well, you did get part of it right. But can anyone else give more detail, Ash?" Professor Oak told his students before picking Ash.

Ash sat there, thinking his answer. He never was someone who cared to think about this, he usually acted first and thought second. "I guess it's whatever you feel is best for you and your pokemon." He said, rising out of his seat. "If you can't think of ways to really be close to them, then whatever you try won't work. Your pokemon are your best friends and you work with them."

"That's correct Ash." Professor Oak declared, he was a little surprised Ash was the one to answer since he usually slept during the classroom portion of the class. "On your journeys each of you will meet many trainers, most who will use different styles. But if you pay attention, each of their styles are designed to complement the bonds between trainer and pokemon."

As Professor Oak continued talking, Zach poked Nick's arm to get his attention. "You'll never be a good trainer. Everything is facts and statistics to you, just because it's written down doesn't mean it is the right way. Your problem is you have no idea how to improvise. Every time your ideas get beat, you fold." He said, visibly upset over the way Nick answered. _It isn't about winning, it's about the bonds between trainer and pokemon. Doesn't he listen? All the brains in the world can't win you a league if you don't work with your pokemon._ Zach thought to himself, trying to listen to Professor Oak's lecture on some common battle styles that beginners use.

* * *

Nick continued walking through the streets of Vermilion City, unconsciously heading for route 11. Upon reaching it Nick stared at the area before him. Earlier today he had watched Samurai chase a Sandshrew and then A.J and himself had battled, showing Nick his flaws. He looked out towards the route where he saw a family of Sandshrew rolling across the fields, possibly looking for food. To his left was a flock of Spearow, resting in the few trees located here. Everywhere he looked, the pokemon looked peaceful it made him think back to those times where he would watch the pokemon at the day-care from his window at times.

Back then if he wasn't helping at the day-care or at Professor Oak's school, he was probably reading up on pokemon. Seeing the pokemon like this brought him a relaxed feeling, the one that had been missing since he lost to Lt. Surge.

Nick walked a little further and noticed a small wooded area and decided to explore. Once he was deep in the woods, Nick noticed all the pokemon there. Flocks of Pidgey and Spearow lived happily in the trees. The Rattata of the forest ran around the ground, looking for any nuts and berries. Even a group of Oddish were pollinating the flowers with the spores they carried.

The whole forest felt tranquil, none of the pokemon cared he was there, and in fact they just ignored his presence. It reminded Nick of why he loved pokemon, it was because of how amazing these creatures really were. The peaceful feeling soon left as he saw a Diglett collide with his leg. The ground type seemed upset over something, but Nick couldn't tell what. Diglett continued to try and push Nick in a certain direction. Deciding that something was up, Nick started walking in the direction that Diglett came from.

Upon reaching a clearing in the forest, Nick found a Mankey barely holding up a large boulder. Behind him laid a Rattata in the arms of a young boy, the same boy that Nick saw earlier in the day. The kid looked like he couldn't walk, he probably sprained his ankle by the way he was sitting. What Nick wanted to know was what actually happened.

"Hey! Are you alright, what happened?" Nick yelled, worried for the kid.

"We-well, I c-came out here with Rattata to tr-try and train, but we were att-attacked by some wild pokemon and hurt." He said, between sobs. He had to be in pain to cry and not try and get from that boulder. "Then, we slipped down that ledge while running away, but I hurt my ankle when we fell." The kid was trying to hold back tears from his pain and fear. "The next thing I know, Mankey is protecting us from this boulder."

"Alright, I'm coming to help. Hitmonchan, I choose you!" Nick yelled, before realizing that his pokemon were still at the Pokemon Center. "What am I supposed to do without my pokemon? No! Not again, I need to improvise." He said. Nick then sprinted over to the young boy, lifting him up and carrying him to a safe location.

"Thank you mister." The boy said before realizing that Mankey was still holding the boulder. "You have to help him. He saved me!"

"Don't worry, I'll help him. I promise." Nick said before running back to Mankey. He then went under the boulder, trying to lift it up with Mankey. "Woah, heavier than it looks." Nick could feel the boulder slipping, they didn't have much time left. "Diglett! Go find the other Mankey, maybe with their combined strength we can toss the boulder!" He yelled out.

"Diglett." The ground type cried before heading off into the forest. It was moving at an amazing speed, putting all its energy into finding the other Mankey.

 _You know. It took me going through a life and death situation, but I finally realized why I always wanted to be a trainer._ Nick thought to himself while he watched Mankey struggling. _I've been fascinated with them since before I could walk. I became a trainer because of my love for them, wanting to spend every moment with different pokemon. To be the best I could be never involved what others thought, but just that I cared for my pokemon with all my heart. I guess grandma was right._ He thought, feeling the weight become heavier.

Just as Nick was about to give up hope, he heard multiple cries throughout the air. "Mankey!" The hoard of pokemon cried out. The fighting types all raced underneath the boulder, helping lift it up. The weight became lighter until Nick wasn't even holding the boulder anymore. He watched as the dozen Mankey all tossed the boulder away from them before they all ran off into the woods.

"Thank you mister! Not only did you save me, but you saved Mankey." The kid said, his eyes filled with joy.

"You shouldn't be thanking me, but instead thank, Diglett. It found myself and the Mankey. Without Diglett we'd be gone." Nick told the boy.

"So, why did you run over to Mankey? You knew that you would be no help to it." The boy asked, not sure what to think of Nick.

"Well, lately I've been wondering why I became a pokemon trainer. Today I finally understood that it's because of my love of pokemon. When I saw Mankey, I couldn't just leave him there." Nick explained. "Now, I hope after this you'll cheer for me during the Pokemon League." Nick said teasingly.

"You're competing at the Pokemon League!? No way!" The boy cried out in excitement. He never imagined meeting a real trainer like this. "Just wait until I tell all my friends."

Just then, a rustling sound came from the nearby bushes. To everyone's surprise, the Mankey from before was approaching the young boy it saved. "Mankey..." It said, pointing at itself then to the boy.

"Hey, I think Mankey wants to be with you. You should catch it." Nick said, seeing the way Mankey was acting. Whatever happened before Nick arrived must have made Mankey feel close to this boy.

"I wish I could, but I can't. I'm not old enough to be a trainer. I don't have any pokeballs, I only have Rattata because it was a gift." The boy said, feeling defeated from the sadness. Even Mankey felt upset from this.

"Well, no one said you needed to catch it." Nick said, tossing a spare pokeball. "Pokeball, go!" The ball made contact with Mankey, pulling it within. The two watched on as the ball jiggled about four times before coming to a stop. "Well, here you go. Think of it as a present between friends." He told the boy, placing Mankey's pokeball in the boy's hands. "Now, you have to promise me a couple things. First, take real good care of Mankey. Second, I want to battle you when you become a trainer." Nick declared, flashing a smile.

The boy smiled back as well. "Of course. I'll take real good care of Mankey, then I'll show you when I become a trainer." The boy then tried standing up, only to have a jolt of pain run through his ankle.

"Hey, you should be taking it easy. You probably sprained your ankle pretty badly." Nick told him. He then walked over to the boy and lowered himself. "Climb on. I'll give you a lift home."

The boy then climbed onto Nick's back, trying not to put too much pressure on his ankle. "Thank you." He said once he was on Nick's back. "I don't know what would have happened if you didn't show up."

"Don't worry about it, everything turned out fine in the end." Nick told the boy as they started to walk. The journey back to the boy's house was a silent one. Neither one of them knew what to talk about. After a short walk, Nick was outside the house from before. He walked up to the front door before placing the boy down.

The boy's ankle was feeling well enough that he could walk into the house. Before shutting the door he turned around towards Nick. "Thank you once again mister!"

Nick, who was already walking away yelled back. "Your welcome! And I am expecting an excellent battle one day!"

Nick then continued his walk back towards the Pokemon Center. He needed to talk to his pokemon and explain everything. He shortly arrived at the center after dropping the boy back off at his home. Once inside, Samurai approached him.

"Hey, where did you run off to?" He asked, Samurai had been in a different part of the building when Nick left and didn't find out until later.

"I just needed to clear my head, go for a walk and think some things over. You know what I mean?" Responded Nick, who was smiling from his little adventure today. Before Samurai could respond, Nick walked over to Nurse Joy to see if his pokemon were ready. "Hi Nurse Joy, are my pokemon all healed?"

"Hi, just let me check on them." She said, walking into the backroom. Within a few minutes she reappeared with a tray holding Nick's five pokeballs. "Everyone is doing just fine. You should give them a few days of rest though. You don't want to push them to hard." Nurse Joy said.

"Yak, I was planning on taking it easy the next few days before I challenge Lt. Surge again." He replied before grabbing his pokeballs and then immediately heading for the backyard of the Center.

Once outside, Nick tossed the five pokeballs up into the air. "Come on out, everyone." He yelled as the pokeballs all opened and his pokemon emerged from them. Nick then faced his five pokemon, knowing that now would be the best time. "Guys, there's something I need to say." He began, his pokemon watching his every move not knowing what he was going to say. "I'm sorry. Recently I've forgotten why I became a trainer. I was caught up in proving myself to everyone else that I forgot. I forgot that I started travelling because of my love for pokemon. It doesn't matter what others think about me. It only matters that we're enjoying our journey together." He paused for a second to catch his breath. "From now on we all are going to get stronger together, that includes myself." Nick told them, finishing his little speech. His pokemon just sat there. They had no clue where this would come from, they hadn't really noticed any differences in the way Nick acted.

"So, I guess our plan is working." Ebony said, Janine and herself were around the corner listening to Nick. "He's starting to realize his flaws."

"Ya." Janine said not too excitedly. She still wasn't for Ebony's plan. "I wish we could have done it without A.J learning how Nick likes to battle though. Maybe we should have had Samurai battle him."

"Samurai wouldn't have worked." Ebony pointed out. "Nick would have either beaten him, or lost and not listen to him." She then quickly pulled Janine away from their location. "Let's move, he's heading this way." The duo then quickly left, making sure Nick had no clue they were here.

Nick walked into the Pokemon Center, sitting down on one of their couches. Samurai soon joined him, wanting to know more about what Nick did.

"Nick, come on, tell me what you really thought about." He said, pestering the other trainer.

"Do you really want to know?" Nick asked, only to receive a quick nod from the bug enthusiast. "Alright, I realized why I always wanted to be a trainer. I realized that I just love being around pokemon, and it really doesn't matter what others think about what I do. It took the help of a young boy to help me see that." Nick said, explaining the events from earlier except for the incident with the boulder.

"Wow, who would have thought that would happen." Samurai said, he was kind of surprised that a young child could help Nick realize this. "So, when do you plan to challenge the gym?"

"I promised Nurse Joy and my pokemon that we would take a few days off. I plan on challenging Lt. Surge in about two or three days. I think that should be enough time. I mean, I still need to finish collecting my badges with the league getting closer."

Nick followed through on his plans, for the next two days he did nothing but relax. That meant no battling, no training, nothing, not even reading his book on last year's league. He spent most of his time down at the beach with his pokemon. Samurai, Janine, and Ebony joined him with their pokemon as well. They all needed some time off.

* * *

Those two days passed by quickly and now they were in front of the Vermilion City Gym. Nick stood there, staring at the building. He remembered his previous experience here, Eevee had been beaten badly and Hitmonchan fought incredibly. They lost here last time because Nick couldn't keep his emotions under control. Surge just got under his skin and bugged him the whole match. This time would be different though.

"Vermilion Gym..." Nick said to himself. "I'm going to win this time." He claimed, pumping his fists in front of his body.

"So, any idea on who you're going to use?" Ebony asked. They were all curious, but no one wanted to ask.

"Of course. The same ones as last time. Everyone wants to show Lt. Surge just how great we are." The group then walked into the familiar gym.

The inside lit up once the group set foot in there. "Who challenges the great Lt. Surge!" A loud booming voice declared. Everyone remembered this voice from before, it was no one else but Lt. Surge.

"I have. I want a rematch with you Surge!" Nick declared, trying to sound louder than the lightning American. "I want to get revenge for how you beat me a few days ago."

"Wait, it's the baby who used the Eevee the other day. I had real high hopes for that battle. Richard told me that it would be great, but I was let down." Surge explained.

"Wait, how do you know Richard?" Samurai asked, everyone else were too busy trying to figure out how they knew each other to even ask.

"Richard? I'm like an uncle to that guy. His father and I served in the war together. Don't worry. He never told me how the baby battled, just that I would have a good battle." He said before adding. "Now, are we battling or just going to stare at each other?"

"Yak, what are the conditions?" Nick asked, he wanted to win but he wasn't going to let Surge get to him.

"It'll be a two-on-two. Like always, you can switch pokemon while I can't." Surge stated as he walked towards his side of the field. He then tossed his first pokeball, wanting to get this battle moving. "Go, Raichu!"

"Rai." The electric mouse said. Nick remembered this mouse all too much. He could still picture the way it had treated Eevee. The pokemon didn't seem too fazed from that battle, still having the same look of not worrying about the other pokemon.

"Well then, I choose, Eevee!" Nick yelled as he tossed his pokeball.

"Vee." The pokemon cried out happily, it was hoping that it would be able to face Raichu again. Eevee wanted to defeat the electric type himself.

"Why Eevee? Doesn't Nick remember how this went last time?" Janine wondered. There was no way anyone could forget how the battle went last time.

"I wouldn't question Nick. Something seems different about these two." Samurai said, having learned about how Nick's encounter with that boy helped teach him.

"Raichu, start off with a thunderbolt!" Surge demanded. The electric type charged up its attack before firing it off.

Nick wasn't as worried this time. Both Eevee and he had seen how Raichu battled last time. It doesn't have much speed. It relies on its strength. "Eevee, use quick attack to dodge."

"Vee." Eevee cried as it started to sprint away from the thunderbolt attack. The attack continued to follow him, however, unlike last time the duo wasn't worried. Eevee ran straight for Raichu, who was too busy launching the thunderbolt to try and counter. Eevee rammed right into Raichu's stomach, causing it to stop the attack.

"Raichu, grab it now!" Surge yelled. No one will beat him. Raichu reached for the pokemon, but was too slow. Eevee was already running away. "Why are you running away, afraid that we'll beat you?" Surge was trying to get to Nick. It worked last time so why not now.

"We aren't running, just staying true to our plan." Nick explained. "Eevee, use swift."

Eevee swung its tail, creating the trail of stars that were then launched straight at Raichu. Instead of waiting around, Eevee was already on the move again.

"Raichu, break their stars with your thunderbolt!" Surge wasn't playing around, he didn't know what Nick had planned.

"Chuuu!" The electric rodent cried out as it launched its signature attack. It managed to destroy every attack coming towards it from the front. Once it felt safe, it stopped the attack and looked for Eevee Eevee however was nowhere to be seen. "Rai?" It asked itself, just then it felt a pain in its back. It had been hit by a swift attack.

"But how?" Now Surge was getting confused. He could have sworn that Eevee was in front of them the whole time.

"I never told Eevee to stop. We used his speed to get behind Raichu while you were distracted with the attack in front of your eyes." He explained once more. "You know, for someone in the army, your awareness isn't too great."

It was Surge's turn to get upset now. "Why you! Raichu, after that pokemon and when you catch up to it use slam!" Raichu broke off into a sprint, but it was no match for Eevee.

"Eevee, wait until Raichu gets close, then when he attacks dodge." Nick told his partner. Their plan was simple. Tire out Raichu until he was too tired to fight back. Then it would be a full frontal assault.

The plan was working. Eevee would wait for Raichu to approach and try and slam into it. Every time that Raichu was about to land an attack however, Eevee managed to dodge. This was happening constantly, everyone could see Raichu tiring. Every time it slammed into the ground it was only getting tired faster.

"Okay, Eevee shadow ball and then use dig immediately after launching the attack." It was time to try and end this. They were hoping that a super effective hit like dig would be enough to finish Raichu off.

"Eevee." The pokemon said cheerfully. It quickly launched the shadow ball, using it to hide its true intentions. As everyone watched the attack head towards Raichu, Eevee started to dig underground.

"Raichu, take the hit!" Surge wasn't falling for it. He saw this last time with swift. This was just for cover, the real attack was coming shortly after. Raichu was struck with the attack, but the thing that caught Surge's attention was the sound of the ground breaking. "Raichu, prepare a mega punch for right underneath you."

"Raichu." The pokemon pulled its fist back, getting prepared for any attack. It then noticed the ground underneath it break, followed by Eevee charging at it. Raichu swung its fist forward, connecting with Eevee's stomach. The impact sent Eevee flying back across the field.

"Eevee, are you okay?" Nick asked as Eevee started to stand again. "Alright, let's try another shadow ball then dig immediately after."

"What? Is he forgetting that it just failed? Is he trying to lose?" Ebony cried out. They all just saw how his last idea worked out.

"I think he's onto something." Samurai said. "Look at Raichu, how many more hits do you think it can take at this point? If Raichu takes this shadow ball again, then it is only going to get weaker.

"Vee." Eevee cried out as it launched the attack before digging underground.

Raichu once again took the shadow ball, but was now panting and sweating from how much damage it had taken.

Lt. Surge wasn't ready to give up yet. "Raichu, mega punch once Eevee comes up from underground.

 _Perfect_ Nick thought to himself. Surge was falling for his plan like he hoped. Eevee started to come up through the ground and Nick noticed how Raichu was starting its attack. _Now or never_ "Eevee, launch another shadow ball."

Eevee launched the attack once more, having it soar past Raichu's fist and connecting with its face instead. The force of the attack was enough to cause Raichu to lose its concentration long enough for Eevee to land its dig attack. Eevee's head collided into Raichu's stomach, causing immense pain and causing the electric type to faint.

"Raichu… no." Surge said as he returned Raichu. "You might have beat Raichu, but try this one out. Electabuzz!" He yelled out as Electabuzz appeared from its pokeball.

Eevee was now starting to grow fatigued and Nick knew that it was best to save him now. "Eevee, return." Nick said, recalling the normal type into its pokeball. "I choose you, Hitmonchan!"

"Nick's going for the rematches." Ebony pointed out. Only she would know, since she had watched the entire battle.

"What do you mean?" Samurai asked.

"Well, last time Eevee lost to Raichu and Nick used him to battle Raichu this time. Last time, Hitmonchan lost to Electabuzz and Nick is using him again today." Ebony explained, both Samurai and Janine understood what she was talking about.

"Okay, Hitmonchan, start off with mach punch." Nick commanded. He wasn't going to let Lt. Surge get the first move.

Hitmonchan was off, seeming faster than ever. In a flash, he was already in front of Electabuzz. He quickly launched his fist into Electabuzz's chest.

"Great, that was a direct hit." Nick called out, not noticing that Electabuzz wasn't really harmed.

"Electabuzz, thunder punch!"

"Electabuzz!" It cried as its fist started sparking with electricity. The electric type then swung its fist forward, hitting Hitmonchan in the face. Hitmonchan was a little dazed from the hit, he wasn't expecting Electabuzz to be able to shake off that last punch.

"Good, now show them your iron tail!" Surge was on the offensive, not giving Hitmonchan and Nick a second to counter.

Electabuzz's tail stiffened up and became metallic. The electric type swung its tail, connecting with Hitmonchan. The pain from the constant barrage caused Hitmonchan to drop to one knee. Once he did so, Nick got an idea. Electabuzz began charging towards the punching pokemon, wanting to land another iron tail attack.

Just as Hitmonchan was about to dodge, Nick yelled out his plan. "Don't dodge, wait until Electabuzz gets close and I'll let you know what to do." Hitmonchan stopped trying to get up and instead stayed on his knee. Just as Electabuzz was about to strike, Nick called out to the fighting type. "Quick, drop to your back!"

Hitmonchan did as he was told, dropping to his second knee before bending his back down. His body just sailed under Electabuzz's tail, looking like a game of limbo.

"Perfect, now grab that tail and then use comet punch!"

Hitmonchan jumped up quickly, surprising both Surge and Electabuzz at the speed he still had in him. Hitmonchan reached out for the tail, grasping it in his left hand before rapidly punching the electric type with his right.

Nick knew that they couldn't keep this up forever and they needed something else. "Okay, toss him!" This way, they could have a few seconds to think of something else.

Hitmonchan placed his heels down into the ground and started spinning around, causing Electabuzz to spin as well. They duo picked up quite the speed, causing a gust of wind to form around them. Once Hitmonchan seemed pleased with the speed, he let go causing Electabuzz to sail across the gym.

"Electabuzz, get up and launch a shock wave!" Surge demanded. There was no way that he was going to lose to this kid.

"Buzzzz!" It yelled, getting up off the ground slowly. Once standing, he launched the electric type move, only to be unable to direct it.

"I guess Electabuzz is still a little dizzy after his spin." Samurai joked, only to get no responses except Ebony hitting him.

"Now isn't the time to be making jokes!" She yelled. All three of them were caught up in the battle, sitting on the edge of their seats.

"Electabuzz, if you can't aim, just launch the attack while spinning." Surge commanded. If Nick could come up with some strange idea, so could he.

Electabuzz began to spin while using shock wave, the result being a tornado of electricity forming around the electric type. Electabuzz then started to spin towards Hitmonchan, hoping to strike him with the attack.

"I wasn't expecting this." Nick stated, sounding a little nervous. _What should we do?_ He thought before Hitmonchan caught his attention.

"Hitmon, chan Hitmonchan!" It stated while pointing to the opening at the top of the vortex. It was trying to point out that if it could get inside, then it could land the finishing blow.

"Alright, I understand. Hitmonchan, jump into that tornado and use mach punch!"

"Hitmon!" It yelled as it was sprinting towards the tornado. Once it was close enough it put all its energy into its legs, pushing off them and jumping towards the top. Hitmonchan was on a clear path to the top, jumping higher than Electabuzz's attack. Now was the hard part, the assault. Hitmonchan started a dive bomb straight at Electabuzz, right fist extended.

As Hitmonchan entered the tornado, his whole body was attacked by the electrical waves making up the vortex. "But, how?" Nick was dumbfounded, having no answer for the attack.

"Did you forget?" Surge called out. "The attack is made from shock wave, an attack that never misses." Surge made sure to emphasize the last part.

Hitmonchan wasn't ready to give up though. He continued his assault through the electrical current until his fist collided with Electabuzz. The electric type flew down into the ground, causing the vortex to collapse on itself and trap Hitmonchan inside.

A smoke cloud formed due to the impact from the electricity. No one could see Hitmonchan or Electabuzz at all. Eventually the smoke cleared, revealing that Hitmonchan had fainted, while Electabuzz was covered in a green sphere of energy.

"No way." Janine said, surprised that Electabuzz would be using a move like that.

"Hmm? What's the matter?" Samurai asked, clueless about what happened.

"Electabuzz is using protect. That's a move that protects the user from any damage with a few exceptions." She explained. "In other words, this could make things even harder for Nick."

"Hitmonchan, return." Nick said, recalling it to his pokeball. "You did a great job, you managed to wear down Electabuzz." He said to the pokeball. He then grabbed Eevee's pokeball. "I choose you, Eevee!" He yelled, tossing the pokeball.

"Vee!" It cried put. It was panting, but not as much as Electabuzz. It had a look of determination in its eyes, almost like no matter what happens, it would not lose.

"Electabuzz, no more playing around. Use thunder punch!"

Electabuzz's fists sparked with electrity once again as it charged at Eevee. Eevee waited for Electabuzz to get close, waiting for Nick to give a command.

"Shadow ball, then dig immediately!"

Eevee launched the ghost attack at the charging Electabuzz, who wasn't slowed down by the attack at all. As Electabuzz continued his charge, Eevee finished his hole and escaped into it just as Electabuzz swung its fists at the normal type.

"Electabuzz, wait until Eevee reappears then use protect!" Lt. Surge yelled. Even he was getting nervous. He didn't think Eevee still had this much energy left.

The ground started to crumble as Eevee lunged up towards Electabuzz, only to be blocked by the green sphere. _Just like I thought. Protect was his ace up his sleeve. If I get him to waste it, I'm fine._ Nick thought as he watched Eevee bounce off the shield. "Now, use shadow ball before Electabuzz can react!"

"Eevee!" It yelled, firing off the attack as it fell back towards its hole. Electabuzz had no time to react or use protect again, instead being struck head on by the attack. Electabuzz flew backwards, landing on the ground.

"Ahhhh! Electabuzz, get up. We need to win!" Surge yelled, trying to force his pokemon back up.

"Electa…." It started as it tried to get back up, only to fall back down due to its fatigue. "Buzzzz." It said softly, having fainted from the fierce battles.

"We… did it!" Nick yelled out in excitement. Eevee ran over to Nick, jumping into his arms. "You were great Eevee. You beat both Raichu and Electabuzz, but we couldn't have done it without Hitmonchan." He said, looking at its pokeball.

Lt. Surge walked over to Nick, holding out the thunder badge. The badge looked just like the sun. "Well, you won. I guess you aren't a baby after all. Congratulations." He said, tossing the badge to Nick, who caught it.

"Thanks..." Nick responded, not really meaning it. He then turned to his three friends. "Well, I'm one more step closer to the league."

"Ya, all you need is one more badge!" Samurai declared, excited as much as Nick was. "Why don't we head back to the Pokemon Center and figure out where we should head to next."

"Ya, Hitmonchan and Eevee could use a good rest." Nick said, returning Eevee to its pokeball before heading to the doors.

"Nick, your pokemon are doing just fine. They're both tired, so I wouldn't use them for a little." Nurse Joy said, handing over the two pokeballs.

"Thank you." He responded as he grabbed the two pokeballs. "I promise, these two won't be battling anytime soon." Nick then turned and walked over to his friends. "So, any idea on where we should head to?"

"Well, while I was travelling on my own, I saw many towns with gyms, I just don't know which ones are official gyms." Ebony said.

"Well, there's the gym on Cinnabar Island and I'm pretty sure there's one in Viridian City." Janine said.

"Okay, but does anyone know how to get there?" Nick asked, they weren't exactly the best with directions.

"Well, according to my maps, if we head towards Fuchsia City and then head south we should find a boat that can take us to Cinnabar." Samurai told everyone, pulling out his maps.

Nick quickly pulled them away from Samurai though. "Oh no, I am not listening to these things. We made it to Fuchsia City before and we can do it again."

Before anyone could say anything to that, a familiar voice was heard behind them. "So, you need to get to Fuchsia City quickly?"

Everyone turned around, not sure if they were hearing the right person. The group immediately saw Brendan standing before them. "Brendan, what are you doing here? I thought you were practicing being a fisherman?" Nick asked, he was happy to see an old friend, but confused on why he would be here.

"Well you see, my father invited me along on this trip. He said if I do well enough then I can go with him on his big trip to the Orange Archipelago. But, I heard you needed to get to Fuchsia City. We're scheduled to sail to Sunnytown tomorrow morning. I'm sure you can all catch a ride with us. From there you can walk to Fuchsia, from Sunnytown it shouldn't take long."

"Really!?" Nick asked, jumping out of his seat with excitement. "That would make everything easier. Thank you so much." He was now shaking Brendan's hands, not knowing what else he should do.

"Well, come to the docks for 8:00 am tomorrow morning, we're shipping out at 8:30." Brendan explained before leaving the Center with two pokeballs.

* * *

8:00 am came quickly for the group, especially Nick who finally had a good night's sleep for the first time in a while. The group was all packed and aboard the ship, waiting for it to set sail. Eventually the ship set sail for Sunnytown.

The seas were a little rough this morning, causing the boat to rock quite frequently. Nick seemed to be having the worst experience, having gotten seasick. "Are we almost there yet? I think I've tossed up my past three meals in just the past half an hour alone." He said, head between his knees.

"Ha, don't tell me the great Nick's only weakness is seasickness?" Samurai asked teasingly. He figured this would be his best chance to get his maps back from Nick. Nick didn't respond back, being too busy trying to keep himself from throwing up again. "Well, I guess you can't stop me from taking this then." He said, grabbing Nick's bag and running off with it.

"Hey! Give that back!" Nick yelled, chasing after him. _He is not getting those maps back_ Nick thought as he chased Samurai around the deck of the ship. Unfortunately, Nick's seasickness kicked in, causing him to stop his chase and throw up over the side of the boat.

"Ha! As long as you keep getting sick, you'll never catch me." Samurai bragged while taking his maps out of Nick's bag. After reclaiming his maps back, a rogue wave hit the ship, causing it to rock back and forth. The effect of the rocking ended up getting Samurai sick as well, as he ran for the edge of the boat, tossing up his breakfast.

"You two should really behave yourselves." Janine said. Ebony and she had just walked out onto the deck to an image of the two boys throwing up over the railing. "You know, for everything you two go through, who would have thought that a little seasickness would be the only thing to bother you." She said, laughing at the situation.

Ebony meanwhile wasn't in the mood to be playing around. "If you two can't hold your breakfast in, just stand by the railing because I don't want to see any of it." She said, before leaving.

The ship ride was long, taking around four hours to reach Sunnytown. As the ship pulled into the docks to fill up on supplies, Brendan walked up to the group. "Well, I wish this wasn't good bye, but this is where our paths go in different directions. Good luck on getting your last badge and if I'm near a TV during the league I'll be rooting for you." Brendan told them.

"Thank you for everything, Brendan. I hope you have fun on this trip and get to go to the Orange Archipelago." Nick said, extending his hand to Brendan, who met it with his hand and starting a handshake.

The group then started walking away, waving back towards their friend. Once they far enough away, Janine spoke up. "Who was that guy?"

"Oh ya, I forgot. You weren't with us when we met Brendan." Samurai responded. "He's the son of a fisherman and plans to follow in his father's footsteps. We met him when we were on our way to Fuchsia City the first time."

"Oh, I see. Well, hopefully it works out for him." She said, before changing the subject. "Do you guys think we have time to stop in Fuchsia City for a few days? I would like to visit my father for a little. Not too long, maybe just two days."

"Of course." Nick replied. "Besides, that way I can visit the safari zone this time. Last time I was in Fuchsia City I wasn't able to see it" He explained before starting again. "I wonder what pokemon are in there." He thought, his voice filled with excitement.

As the group continued talking, they didn't realize that they were actually near Janine's house. The group actually walked right near it. "Hey, Janine, isn't this your house?" Ebony asked, being the first to pick up on the resemblance.

"Yak. I guess I am visiting home." She said, opening the door and walking in.

* * *

 **Team:**

 **Nick- 6 badges:**

 **Eevee- swift, quick attack, dig, shadow ball**

 **Kingler- water gun, crabhammer, stomp, mud shot**

 **Charizard- flamethrower, ember, dragon tail, brick break**

 **Gastly- night shade, venoshock, hypnosis, dark pulse**

 **Hitmonchan- mach punch, agility, comet punch, thunder punch**

 **At Oak's:**

 **Beedrill- poison sting, fury attack, twinneedle, hyper beam**

 **Shellder**

* * *

 **Samurai- league exam badge:**

 **Pinsir- x-scissor, bulldoze, harden, revenge**

 **Venonat- supersonic, poison fang, confusion, signal beam**

 **Parasect- energy ball, stun spore, fury cutter, slash**

 **Sandshrew- Rollout, mud-slap, dig**

 **At home:**

 **Butterfree- aerial ace, sleep powder**

* * *

 **Janine- league exam badge:**

 **Venonat- psybeam**

 **Zubat- wing attack, supersonic, venoshock**

 **Grimer- sludge bomb, poison jab**

 **Vulpix- ember, flame charge, attract.**

* * *

 **Ebony- 8 Badges:**

 **Chameleon- fire spin, overheat, rock slide, protect**

 **Meowth- thunderbolt, fury swipes**

 **Magneton- electro ball, thunder wave**

 **Seel**


	39. A Homecoming Surprise

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Pokemon**

* * *

As Janine and the others entered the house, they all noticed how silent it was. "Hello!? Is anyone home, it's me, Janine!" They waited for a response. After a few minutes of silence, the group continued inside.

"Maybe your father and aunt went into town like the last time we were here?" Samurai asked, he was trying to come up with a reasonable answer.

"No." Janine replied, shaking her head. "Father always makes sure someone is here to look after the pokemon." She explained before trailing off. She crossed her arms over her chest, thinking about why no one was at their home. "Unless..."

"Unless what?" Nick asked, pushing his way to the front and interrupting the young ninja. He didn't want to be left out of the conversation.

"Let her finish talking!" Ebony yelled, glaring at Nick before hitting him over the head.

Nick rubbed the back of his head that was now sore. "I didn't know, I can't hear from the back. Either way, you didn't need to hit me!" He yelled back.

Janine was trying to think of any situations where her father would leave the house unattended, but couldn't concentrate from Nick and Ebony arguing. She finally had enough and snapped. "Can you two knock it off so I can think!" All three of her friends looked at her blankly, they never had heard Janine raise her voice before. She quickly became flustered from the fact that even she was surprised by her little outburst. "I didn't mean to yell, it's just hard to concentrate with your arguing. Now, there isn't many events that would cause my father to leave." After a few more minutes of thinking, an idea finally came to her. "Ah! I've got." She said, smacking a closed fist into her other hand's open palm.

"Huh? What is it?" Samurai asked, he didn't want to upset Janine after seeing her earlier outburst.

"Well, the reason my father and aunt are not here is because of a special event I forgot about." She started explaining.

The mention of a special event caught Ebony's attention. "A special event?" She asked, wondering what it could possibly be.

"Ya, it occurs once a year." Janine explained, nodding her head now that she remembered. "Every year Fuchsia City holds a tournament for poison type pokemon. The trainer who wins, is given the chance to battle my father."

"What prize is that?" Nick wondered. "Anyone can challenge him, he is a gym leader." Nick then started to walk away before he could get hit again.

"Oh, but the pokemon he uses are even stronger." She explained, gaining Nick's attention. "The pokemon he uses in the gym battles are strong, but the winner of the tournament gets to face the first pokemon he ever had. And it's pretty rare as well."

This caught everyone's attention. "A rare and strong poison type." Nick muttered. _What could it be? The only poison type pokemon in Kanto are the evolution lines of Grimer, Zubat, Ekans, Koffing and the Nidorans. Plus many who have the typing as a secondary._ He thought. None of those pokemon really seemed rare to him.

"So when does this tournament begin?" Samurai asked, jumping off the ground. He was also excited to see such a strong pokemon.

"Well, from what I can tell, it must be soon." Janine figured. It was then they heard Ebony call from outside.

"Hey, come over here!" She yelled, calling everyone over to the doors for any gym challengers. "There's a note posted on this door. Attention all challengers." She began reading. "Because of the upcoming poison type tournament, the Fuchsia City Gym will be closed for the next three days." Ebony finished before looking at the date that the note was written. "Hey, this was written today!"

"Then the tournament starts today at noon." Janine stated.

"Well, why are we just standing around here? Let's go register!" Samurai exclaimed before taking off for Fuchsia City. If there was a battle, he was always ready to take part in one. Nick was right behind him, the two now getting into a race.

"Wait..." Janine said, trying to get their attention, only for them not to hear her. "Those two can be a hand full."

"You don't need to tell me. We should catch up with them." Ebony started to head off before being stopped by Janine. "Huh, what's the problem?"

"Well, the reason I tried to stop them is because I don't think we should take part." Janine explained.

"Why not? I thought you'd be all for this, with it being all poison types." Ebony said with a confused look on her face.

"Well, that's exactly why. The whole town knows that I'm Koga's daughter. They would all expect me to win, and if I lose, it will just look pretty bad." She explained, looking away at the end.

Ebony saw what Janine was getting at. The whole town, and most likely her family, would expect her to win easily. "You don't need to worry. I'm sure you would do fine and no matter how you did, your family would be proud." She told Janine, giving her a reassuring smile.

"Are you sure?" She quickly questioned back, still nervous.

Ebony was starting to lose her patience. She got behind Janine and started pushing her towards the town. "Stop worrying, just have fun and relax."

* * *

Janine and Ebony finally reached the Pokemon Center in Fuchsia City, ready to register for the tournament. Nick and Samurai had already registered for the tournament and had been waiting for around 30 minutes for the duo.

"What took you two so long? We already had time to register." Samurai told them, unable to pick up on Janine's nervousness.

"Oh you know, some of us don't break into a sprint at the first mention of a battle!" Ebony explained, her voice rising with every word she spoke. "Now, where is the registration desk?"

"O-over there." Samurai managed to say, he was still scared from Ebony. He was pointing over to the main desk where Nurse Joy usually worked at.

"Thanks, now we need to register." Ebony said, pulling Janine with her. After registering they walked back over to the two boys, who were starting to grow impatient.

"Hey, do you think we have time to go have a quick match?"

"Why? Just so I can beat you again!"

"You mean so _I_ can beat you again."

This was just a bit of the conversation the duo were having. The two girls were too far away to hear anything else. They then reached the duo. "Shouldn't you two be worrying about this tournament instead of a little battle?" Ebony asked, starting to grow a little frustrated with their little rivalry.

Before either of them could answer, someone else jumped into the conversation. "Ah come on Ebony. Shouldn't you be encouraging them to tire themselves out?" The voice said before letting out a laugh.

"Nate!" Nick, Samurai and Ebony cried. They all got up and greeted the young carefree trainer.

"What are you doing here?" Nick asked, both glad and confused over why Nate would be in town. "Shouldn't you be getting your last badge?" Nick didn't want to see a friend of his miss out on the league.

"No need to worry about little old me." He joked playfully before revealing his case holding eight badges. "I recently won my last badge. When I got back to Pallet Town, Zach explained to me how he was travelling to Fuchsia City for some training. I decided to tag along with him, and that's why I'm here." Nate finished explaining his story. He then noticed Janine, who was standing behind the others silently. "Huh, hey Nick, who's that?"

"Oh, that's Janine. She's been travelling with us for a long time now. She's pretty insightful on battling and taking care of pokemon." Nick explained.

"Ya, it doesn't hurt that her dad is Ko-. " Samurai started to blurt out before Janine covered his mouth.

"Samurai, not now." She whispered to him.

"Hey, who's her father? Now you got me pretty interested." Nate wondered aloud.

"It's pretty obvious." A familiar voice said. There was no mistaking this voice, especially by the tone the person spoke in. The way he talked made it sound like he was better than you.

"Zach..." Nick muttered to himself.

"Long time no see Samurai, Ebony, Janine." Zach said, facing each one of them. He then turned away. "Nick." He said, no emotionally, almost like he couldn't care less that Nick was there. "Nate, who else in Fuchsia City dresses just like Janine? Now I want you to think real hard about."

Nate stood there, staring at Janine and trying to picture everyone in town that he had seen. Janine was starting to sweat now, hoping that Nate wouldn't find out until later. Unfortunately, Nate was able to put two and two together, realizing who she was related to. "Hey! You're related to Koga!" He exclaimed from excitement.

"Shhh. Please, keep it down. I don't want so many people to know before the tournament." Janine pleaded.

"Alright, I promise." He said, raising his right hand as he spoke. Nate then turned to Zach, wondering if he was competing. "Hey, Zach, have you signed up yet for the tournament?"

Zach let out a huff of air. "No. I was going to enter with an Arbok I recently caught, but it's tired from a battle I recently had. I decided to let it rest."

"So, are you all entering then?" Nate asked, turning towards the others.

"Of course." Nick replied before staring at Ebony. "But, I never knew Ebony had a poison type."

"Oh, don't worry about me." She said, giving them a wave of her hand. "You all go ahead to the arena. I need to make a last minute call."

"If you say so." Nate said. He then turned towards Nick and Samurai. "Race you there." The three then broke off into a sprint, followed by Janine who was slowly walking. She wasn't in a rush to get there.

The only one left with Ebony was Zach. He had a look of discontent on once he heard that Ebony was competing. "Don't tell me you plan on using it here?"

"Well, of course I am. Who else would I use in a poison type tournament?" She asked back, sassily. "You know as well as I do that it's a powerhouse. You were there when it evolved."

"I know. I was also there when everything went wrong. You and I both know that pokemon can change personality upon evolution, but I never thought it could happen as fast as it did with your's." He explained.

The duo then walked over to the Center's phone with Ebony placing a call to Professor Oak. Ebony sat there waiting for the Professor to pick up from his end. Eventually, the duo heard his familiar voice as his face appeared on the screen.

"Ah, Ebony, how are you doing?" The Professor asked kindly. "What can I do for you?"

"Well, Professor, I was wondering if you could send over a pokemon for me?" Ebony asked, timid. She was starting to think this might not be a good idea.

"Of course I could. Now, which one did you need?" Professor Oak asked as he started to stand up.

* * *

"I wonder how many people are entering." Nick asked, noticing that there weren't that many people here.

"Not many usually enter. Not too many people know this little tournament occurs." Janine explained. "In fact, this looks like the largest amount of people competing in years."

"Wow, really. Hopefully they all live up to my expectations." Samurai said, barging in on the conversation. "I'm looking forward to some hard battles." He then started to scratch the back of his head. "Um, what are the rules in this tournament anyways?"

Janine could only laugh at Samurai. "It's simple. You can use any poison types on you, but each match has to be a one-on-one." Janine then started to look around.

Nick noticed that Janine had a worried expression on her face. "Hey, what's the matter? You nervous that your father won't be watching?"

That was least of her problems. In fact she would have liked it better if he wasn't watching. She then started to explain what she had noticed. "No, Ebony still isn't here yet. The tournament is starting soon. I wonder what is taking her so long."

"With Ebony, she's probably looking at herself in a mirror or something." Nick said jokingly. Unknown to him however, Ebony had walked up behind him while he was talking.

"What was that?!" Ebony yelled, startling Nick.

Nick immediately regretted the joke and tried to plead for his life. "No, it was just a joke. All in good fun. Haha..." He said, trying to lighten up Ebony. It wasn't working though and Nick decided to book it out of there.

Just as Nick ran away, a voice could be heard over the speakers. "Ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to today's main event. Today, these sixteen trainers will battle for the right to face off against the very own Koga, master of the poison type and gym leader of our town!" This got the crowd pumped up, cheering as loud as humanly possible.

"You know, the one thing I could live without is all the noise." Samurai mentioned. Coming from a village deep in the northern part of Kanto had its perks. One of those was the quietness.

"You get used to it." Nate replied as he threw his arm around Samurai's shoulder. "It really isn't that bad. Besides, you can't let it get to you. We have a score to settle."

"Oh, don't think I've forgotten. I'll make sure to win again." He bragged.

The voice over the speakers spoke up once again. "Now if you all could look to the screen, we will now be matching up our sixteen participants." Everyone watched as pictures of the sixteen trainers appeared on the screen before flipping over to show blank black squares. The crowd watched as the squares rotated around the screen before coming to a stop. The cards had all been matched and now they were just waiting for them to be flipped over. The wait was over, the cards were flipped over, revealing the match ups.

The very first match belonged to Janine who was facing off against a male trainer who wore a black leather jacket and ripped jeans. His hair was in a Mohawk.

"Yes!" Nick yelled while performing a fist pump. Everyone just stared at Nick like he had three heads. Realizing that he forgot to mention what had him so excited. "Look, I'm not the last match. I get to go second."

Nick was right. He was in the second match against a younger looking child. The kid was wearing blue shorts and a white t-shirt. Samurai was in the fifth match against a female trainer who wore a purple dress. Meanwhile, Nate and Ebony were both in the last match.

"Well, it looks like it's me and you in the last match." Nate said, smiling at Ebony.

While everyone else was excited about their matches, Janine was upset about hers. _Out of every spot I could get, I had to be the first match._ She thought, letting out a sigh.

Meanwhile, Samurai noticed how Janine was acting and decided to see if she was alright. "Janine, are you alright, ever since we first found out about this tournament you've been acting different."

Janine realized that she had given away her nervousness by how she was acting. _Might as well explain everything now_. "Well, I'm just nervous. Being the daughter of a poison type master, I don't want to disappoint him. And now, I'm the first match, I don't want to be the first to lose." She said, explaining everything to Samurai.

Samurai stood there, not sure what to say. "Well, I've met your father before. I think the only way you would disappoint him is if you didn't try your best." He responded, giving her a smile. "I don't know why you'd think you could be the first to lose. There is no way you can lose. You're one of the best battlers I've seen from the few times you have battled."

"Thank you, Samurai. I think I just needed a confidence boost." She said, giving him a smile back. She was feeling a little better now.

"Hey, anytime. You know I'll always help you guys out." Samurai said.

Janine was about to respond, but was cut off by the announcer. "Ladies and gentlemen, our first match will now behind. The match will be between Janine and Toby. May both trainers head to their respective sides of the field."

"Well, I guess that's your cue." Samurai said, talking about what the announcer had just said. "Remember, just relax. I know you'll do great, you always have when you put your mind to it..."

"Th-thank you." Janine stuttered. She was a little flustered from Samurai's comments, mainly because they came from him and not somebody else. She turned towards the field quickly so Samurai couldn't see her light blush.

 _Stupid. Why did I say that?_ Samurai said, mentally kicking himself for what he said. He had also gained light blush after Janine had ran off. _I was supposed to motivate her, not pretty much say 'I think you're amazing.'_ He then watched as she made her way down.

* * *

Elsewhere in the arena, Koga and Aya were sitting in a secluded area so they couldn't be annoyed by everyone. They had watched the match ups be determined and were quite surprised to see that Janine and her friends had entered.

"Brother, did you know of this?" The female ninja asked, wondering if this had been planned.

"No." The male ninja replied, shaking his head. "The last time I had heard from Janine was a few days ago. She told me that they were all the way in Vermilion City. I don't know how they got here."

"Well, whatever the reason, Janine should put on a good display for everyone."

"Yes. I am looking forward to see how much she has grown." Koga said, staring down towards the field, seeing his daughter getting prepared to battle.

* * *

"Ladies and gentleman, get ready to be on the edge of your seats for this match." The announcer cried. "This battle will be between Janine and Dwayne. Both trainers, please send out your pokemon!"

Dwayne smirked, he could read that Janine was nervous based on the way she was standing. "Let's rev our engine, Koffing!" He yelled as he threw his pokeball. The ball landed, revealing a Koffing just as the biker declared.

"Who should I use?" Janine asked herself anxiously. She was rattling her brain for the best possible situation. "I could always use Venonat, or maybe Zubat. Grimer could also be a choice." She muttered before grabbing her head. "Arghh. It's too hard a choice!"

Dwayne was watching Janine's struggle of choosing a pokemon with a blank face. _How hard is it too pick a pokemon?_ He thought, before growing bored. "Hey!" He yelled, getting Janine's attention. "Just pick someone already and live with your decision!"

"Uh, yeah. Sorry about that." She replied while scratching the back of her head. She then quickly reached for a pokeball. "Go, Venonat." The hyperactive bug and poison type appeared by her side, awaiting a command.

"Now that both trainers have chosen their pokemon, let the match begin!" The announcer declared. Dwayne immediately wasted no time, going on the offensive.

"Koffing, let's accelerate our attack. Use shock wave!" Koffing started to spark from an electrical build up before firing off multiple bolts of electricity towards Venonat.

Janine was quick to react, giving out a command for Venonat. "Quick, Venonat counter with double team."

"Venonat." It cried happily as multiple clones appeared and enclosed Koffing into the middle of a circle. However, the electrical attack wasn't confused and shot right into the direction of the real Venonat.

"Venonat!" Janine cried out, seeing her partner be struck by the attack. "But... how?" She muttered.

"What is she doing?" Nick asked. "Janine is usually much better than this, something isn't right."

"Ya, for being a gym leader's daughter she sure doesn't battle like one." Nate said, also seemingly just as confused as Nick.

Ebony could only try and control her anger towards the two. They were the only ones that hadn't realized how nervous Janine was. She finally lost it and yelled at the two fools. "It's because she's nervous!"

"Janine!" Samurai yelled out. "Remember, shock wave is a move that doesn't miss!" He tried to remind her.

 _That's right, how could I forget._ She thought. _Now, if this Koffing was my father's, then its speed should be amazing._ "Venonat, use your psybeam attack!"

"Veno!" The insect pokemon fired off the colorful psychic attack. The beam of energy was going straight for Koffing, seeming like a direct hit.

Dwayne wasn't going to have any of that though. He quickly called out a new command to Koffing, willing to do anything to win. "Koffing, launch a sludge attack at the psybeam!"

"Koffing!" The poison gas pokemon cried out before inflating its entire body. Koffing then immediately exhaled, but instead of air, a black substance was released from its entire body. The substance collided with the psybeam attack directly, causing an explosion and a thick layer of smoke to cover the arena.

"Good, now while they can't see us, tackle that bug into the ground!"

"Koffing!" It cried. No one could see what was going on at all. They could only tell how it was going by sound, and it didn't sound too good for Janine.

"Venonat!" It cried out after being struck by the tackle attack. This continued as Koffing continued coming back around for more hits. Dwayne was going to take advantage of this opportunity.

 _I can't see anything._ Janine thought as she heard Venonat cry out in pain. _How can I beat something I can't see?_ She didn't have time to think this out however, as her friends voices snapped her from her thought.

"Come on, Janine! We know you're better than that!" Nick yelled from his spot.

"Just relax and trust Venonat, you're doing fine!" Ebony added.

"Battle to your strengths, remember your training. Not just as a trainer, but as a ninja!" Samurai said, reminding Janine about the countless hours she had spent practicing.

"I don't really know who you are, but if your friends think you're good at battling, then you probably are!" Nate said, what he said was true. He didn't really know Janine at all, but he just wanted to join in.

 _Everyone... they believe in me. If they think I can do this, then I can do this!_ She thought, motivated by her friends. She was determined now, a fiery look in her eyes. "Venonat, use foresight to locate Koffing and then launch a psybeam!"

"Venonat." It said, agreeing with the plan. Even though she couldn't see anything, she knew that with foresight Koffing could be found. "Veno." It cried happily, signaling that it found Koffing. The next thing that Janine saw, was the psybeam attack cutting through the smoke, revealing Koffing.

The poison type was struck, causing some decent damage due to the type effectiveness of the previous attack. "Koffing, come on, get up." Dwayne said, pleading with his partner. "Remember all the training we went through! I'm not ready to lose!"

Dwayne's words broke through to Koffing. The poison gas pokemon rose up into the sky, before being engulfed in a bright white light. Koffing's shape changed as its body became larger and a second, smaller head, was added. "Wheezing!" It cried happily to its trainer.

"Y-you evolved, for me?" Dwayne asked, almost on the verge of crying. "Alright, with our new strength we can't lose. Use haze, and then to prevent foresight, immediately use taunt."

"Weezing." It said, opening its mouth and firing off a cloud of black smoke so thick that you couldn't see an inch away from you. Then, once the attack was finished, Weezing flew in front of Venonat and stuck out its tongue. Venonat fell for the taunt, making it unable to use foresight.

"This is bad, without foresight, Janine can't tell Venonat where to attack. She might not last much longer" Ebony said sadly, she was rooting for her friend, but if she couldn't tell where Weezing was coming from there would be no way to counter.

"It isn't over yet." Samurai stated. He wasn't ready to give up and neither was Janine. "There must be a way. Nick, check everything that the pokedex has on Venonat."

"Um, okay." Nick said, surprised by Samurai's request. He quickly pulled out his pokedex and opened Venonat's page. "Let's see... Typing, attacks, abilities." He said, reading off each section.

"Wait! That's it." Samurai said. "Read its abilities, Venonat are known for their eyesight. There must be something about that."

"Venonat are known for incredibly eyesight no matter the situation." Nick began. "Because of this, its accuracy is spot on no matter the situation, with the ability to see no matter what. This ability is better known as compound eyes, where the Venonat's accuracy is increased."

"See, I told you there's a chance!" Samurai cried triumphantly.

 _Now I can't even use foresight to see._ She thought as the only visible object was a bolt of electricity hitting the spot where Venonat must be. _I guess this is how it ends._

"Veno.. nat.." Venonat managed to say. It was growing tired from the constant barrage of attacks. It then tried to fire off a psybeam attack, only to hit absolutely nothing.

Janine could hear Venonat trying to hit Wheezing. _It's no good. We can't hit him._

"Janine!" Samurai yelled, getting her attention. "Venonat's ability is compound eye, it means it has increased accuracy. Just call out the commands and let Venonat be your eyes!"

"Compound eyes?" She asked herself, never once hearing about it before. "I guess we might as well try. Venonat, listen to me! I'll give you a command, try and pinpoint Wheezing's location and then attack! Use psybeam!"

Venonat charged up the attack, but waited to launch it. The insect pokemon was searching through the smoke with its advanced eyes, looking everywhere for the poison gas pokemon. It eventually found it and launched the attack, hitting Weezing.

"We won't be defeated by an easy attack like that. Weezing, charge right at Venonat, put constantly change your direction until I say to attack!"

"Weezing." The pokemon charged at Venonat, but changed direction before the insect pokemon could pinpoint its location. The poison gas pokemon then managed to strike Venonat, sending it backwards.

 _How would a ninja attack an invisible enemy?_ Janine asked herself, now relying on all of her training. She then received an idea when she felt the wind blowing. _That's it!_ "Venonat, listen for its movements in the air. Feel for the change in the breeze. Once you feel it, fire a psybeam with everything you have!"

"Venonat!" It cried in agreement. It stood there, listening as Wheezing tried to fake it out by changing directions. This time, Venonat was prepared. It could feel the breeze changing because of Wheezing. Once the breeze remained the same, Venonat knew to dodge. The poison and bug type jumped over Wheezing before firing a psybeam at its back. The attack was a direct hit, causing another explosion that cleared away the haze.

"Weezing is unable to battle. The winners are Janine and Venonat!" The judge declared.

"Wow! Can you believe it!" The announcer said. "Even though we couldn't see it, just by how it sounded we can assume that this was one great battle. Not even blindness can effect these two trainers and it is a real shame that one of them had to lose this early on!"

Janine ran over to Venonat and lifted the poison type up into her arms. "We did it Venonat, you were amazing!" She said, praising the exhausted pokemon. As she turned back to the waiting area, she saw all her friends waiting.

"See, we told you that you would be fine." Ebony said, reminding Janine about what they talked about earlier.

"Ya, but I couldn't have done it without all of you." She admitted. "If you guys didn't tell me about compound eyes then I wouldn't have been able to think of any ways to attack."

"Well, you should be thanking Samurai. It was his idea to look up all the information that the pokedex contains on Venonat." Nick said, giving all the credit to Samurai.

"Really? Well, thank you Samurai. Without your quick thinking, I probably would have lost." Janine said, thinking back to when the haze covered the entire field.

"Oh, it was nothing." Samurai replied, rubbing the back of his head out of embarrassment. He wasn't used to receiving many compliments. "You would have done the same for me if our roles were reversed."

* * *

"Wow! This match has been a back and forth affair, neither side has been able to take hold of this battle and claim it as their own!" The announcer cried out. "Both Gastly and Beedrill seem to be getting fatigued however, so it could be anybody's guess on how much longer this could go!"

"Gastly, use your dark pulse attack!" Nick called out. The battle was starting to become taxing on both himself and Gastly. When they both saw the opponent, they had an idea this could be good but they never thought it would be this good.

"Gastly." It cried in agreement. Gastly was having a great time against Beedrill, it always enjoyed facing off against other pokemon in the sky. Gastly launched the black and purple beam straight at Beedrill.

"Quick Beedrill, use double team!" The young trainer called out.

"Bee." It said, before splitting off into multiple Beedrill. The new Beedrill however were just copies. All of the beedrill surrounded Gastly, with a few being destroyed by the dark pulse.

"Great, now use poison sting!"

Beedrill raised its stingers up before itself and all of its clones fired off the poison sting attack. Poisonous needles flew out of the stingers and collided with Gastly, who fell out of the sky due to the damage it received. Gastly crashed into the ground before getting back up.

"Gastly, are you good to continue?" Nick asked his pokemon. Gastly could handle plenty of attacks, but there was no reason to push the ghost type to hard. Gastly responded by performing a front flip in the air followed by a huge grin. "I know, you're having just as much fun as I am." Nick said before whipping the sweat from his forehead. "I never thought this tournament would have some challenging participants. However, every good thing has to end. Let's finish this with a spinning night shade!"

"Gastly." It said, started to spin as its eyes released the black beams of energy. Eventually Gastly's entire body was surrounded by the attack. The attack continued to grow until it touched down onto the ground, becoming a mini twister of ghostly energy.

"Amazing folks, Nick and Gastly have turned a simple night shade into such an enormous tornado. As I'm saying this, it looks like Beedrill and all of its clones are being pulled into the attack!" The announcer explained for the audience.

"Beedrill!" The young trainer called out. "Quick, fly as fast as you can to escape." Beedrill continued to battle the tornado's force, but it was no good. No matter how hard it fought, Beedrill couldn't escape it and was eventually pulled into the tornado. Beedrill was then shot out of the tornado, having fainted by the strength of the attack. "Beedrill, no!" The trainer said as they recalled Beedrill.

"Beedrill is unable to battle. The winners are Nick and Gastly!" The referee declared.

"There you have it folks, Nick and Gastly have won their match and will move on to face Janine in the first match of the second round." The announcer called out.

* * *

"Venonat, use your confusion attack!" Samurai called out. His opponent was giving him a hard time, something he wasn't expecting.

"Zubat, dear, dodge the attack and then attack with wing attack." The girl said playfully. This had been their strategy the whole battle. They had been dodging every attack that Venonat had sent their way and then countering immediately after. She knew that Zubat didn't have the strength to cancel out any attack, so they had to play defensively until they could strike.

"Venonat!" It cried out as its eyes turned blue, followed by a wave of blue energy being launched at Zubat. The bat dodged the attack by performing a backflip to get underneath the wave of energy before striking Venonat right in the face with a wing attack.

"Venonat, are you okay?!" Samurai asked as Venonat stood back up, shaking off the previous attack. Zubat was still returning back to its trainer when Venonat fired off a signal beam and hit one of Zubat's wings.

The bat lost its concentration and crashed down into the ground, causing the first real damage to the poison and flying type all day.

"Zubat, are you alright, dear? We'll show those two hoodlums that it's impolite to attack when your back is to someone. Now, use supersonic!"

"Battt!" It cried out as invisible waves of high pitched sound flew out of its mouth and hit Venonat. Immediately upon impact, Venonat couldn't tell where it was and started firing off signal beams in every direction possible.

"Venonat! Get yourself under control and aim for Zubat!" Samurai called out, trying to snap Zubat out of its confusion. It wasn't working however as Venonat just kept firing off the random attacks.

"Now, Zubat, finish this with wing attack!"

Zubat's wings started to glow as it glided close to Venonat. Everyone could tell this was going to be bad, and it was. Zubat slammed into Venonat sending the insect pokemon flying backwards near the stadium's wall. Samurai, thinking quickly, dove out and caught and caught his pokemon before it could crash into the wall.

"Venonat, snap out of it. It's me, Samurai your friend. Remember where we are!" Samurai said to his pokemon, this time managing to get through to Venonat.

"Venonat?" The pokemon asked, unsure of what just happened between the time it was hit with the supersonic attack and now.

"It's alright, Venonat. We'll show them that you can't mess with us. Use signal beam!"

"Venonat!" Venonat's two antennas glowed light blue as they launched a beam of energy straight at Zubat.

"This again, I guess you want to lose. Zubat, dodge and use wing attack once more." The female called out, starting to grow tired of the battle.

Zubat flew straight towards the signal beam before performing another aerial backflip and dodging the attack. Its wings then started to glow as Zubat was only a few yards away from Venonat.

"Perfect." Samurai said, feeling confident about the situation. "Use confusion!"

Venonat's eyes glowed blue as it launched a wave of psychic energy at Zubat. Unlike before, Zubat was too close to dodge the attack and was caught in it.

"Zubat, try and break free!" Its trainer called out, but no matter how hard it tried, Zubat could not break free.

"Alright, now end this by throwing Zubat into the ground!" Samurai commanded. Venonat slammed Zubat into the ground with all its might, causing Zubat to faint.

"Zubat is unable to battle. The winners are Samurai and Venonat!" The referee declared.

"Folks, the fifth match has now been decided with Samurai being the winner. We will now take a short five minute break so we can clean the field up after these exciting battles." The announcer said, informing every one of the unscheduled field cleanup.

* * *

"Alright, everyone, get ready for the final match of the first round!" The announcer declared. "Already, we have seen seven truly amazing battles and now we will see an eighth amazing battle. In this match you will see two childhood friends doing battle against each other. On one end we have Nate and on the other we have Ebony! Both trainers are strong competitors, with each of them having earned eight badges to compete in this year's league championship. This match should really be a good one!"

"Hey Ebony, no hard feelings when I beat you, okay!?" Nate joked, wanting to have a little fun.

"I think it'll be me beating you!" She replied back. _I hope..._ She thought as she grabbed her pokeball. "Nidoqueen, I choose you!" She yelled, tossing her pokeball.

All of her friends were surprised to see Ebony with such a powerful pokemon. "Does anyone know how long she has had this thing?" Nick asked, now glad that he didn't face her in the opening round.

"Nope..."Samurai said, also glad that he didn't have to face it.

"I wonder why she never uses it though." Janine wondered, being the first to overcome the shock of seeing a Nidoqueen.

"Hey, I guess your Nidorina evolved." Nate said, not really looking too surprised. "I remember seeing it back in Cerulean City after I won my Cascade badge."

"Ya, it evolved shortly after that." She said, although a bit timidly. "We're a force to be reckoned with." She said. It was almost like she was afraid of Nidoqueen.

"Alright, Ivysaur, let's give everyone a good show! I choose you!" Nate yelled as he tossed a pokeball onto the field. Ivysaur appeared from the ball, ready to battle.

"So, Ivysaur still hasn't evolved." Nick muttered. He was surprised. Nate had Ivysaur back in Saffron with five badges. Why hasn't it evolved yet? Nate more than likely used it in the last three matches.

"Ivysaur, start off with vine whip." Nate commanded, he saw an opening and was going to take it.

"Saur." It cried out as two vines shot out of the top of its bulb. The two vines raced across the field straight for Nidoqueen.

"Okay, Nidoqueen, jump to dodge the vines and then use body slam!" Ebony sked hesitantly.

Instead of doing what Ebony asked, Nidoqueen stood there, waiting for the vines to come at it. Once the vines were near, Nidoqueen grabbed the two vines, shocking everyone.

"Amazing! Nidoqueen has been skillfully trained to have the hand eye coordination to catch a vine whip!" The announcer said.

 _Ha, not skilled, just stubborn._ Ebony thought as she watched her pokemon hold the vines.

"Ivysaur, pull Nidoqueen right to you. If it wants to play hard, then we'll hit it even harder!" Nate called out as Ivysaur started to retract its vines.

Nidoqueen smirked as it watched itself be pulled closer and closer towards Ivysaur. Eventually it was face to face with the seed pokemon.

"Good! Now use skull bash!" Nate called out, hoping to use this to his advantage.

"Ivysaur!" It cried out, lowing its head before ramming it into Nidoqueen's stomach. To everyone's surprise, Nidoqueen seemed unaffected by the attack.

Nidoqueen grabbed ahold of Ivysaur before it could escape, using its state of shock to its advantage. "Nidoqueen, use body slam." Ebony asked of her pokemon.

Nidoqueen merely shot Ebony a look, almost like it was telling her to stay out of it. The drill pokemon released one of its arms from holding Ivysaur and pulled it back. As the fist swung forward, it was covered in ice. Nidoqueen's fist collided with the underside of Ivysaur, sending the seed pokemon back towards its trainer.

"It doesn't really seem to listen that well, does it?" Nick asked, having picked up on the disobedience during the match.

"It also likes to showboat." Samurai added, pointing out how Nidoqueen was roaring victoriously.

"I guess this is why she doesn't use it often." Janine said while watching Ebony plead with Nidoqueen.

"Nidoqueen, you have to listen to me. We could be so much stronger if we work as a team." She pleaded with her pokemon. Nidoqueen wouldn't have any of it though, slamming its tail onto the ground. The impact caused a slight breeze and signaled that the conversation was over.

"Ivysaur, let's use their argument to our advantage. Use your solar beam!"

"Ivy." It panted. The ice punch had taken quite a bit out of it, but Ivysaur wasn't ready to give up yet. Ivysaur collected sunlight and stored the energy from it in its bulb. As it charged up the attack, it watched as Nidoqueen was charging up its own attack.

"Ivysaur, that's a hyper beam that Nidoqueen is charging." Nate said, starting to sound a little worried. "We need to fire the solar beam right now!" He explained.

"Ivysaur!" The seed pokemon yelled as it fired off the attack. Energy from the sun erupted from its bulb and flew towards Nidoqueen. The attack reached the drill pokemon before it could counter, striking it directly in the chest and causing it to fire the hyper beam up into the air.

"Great job Ivysaur, you managed to stop it from firing off that hyper beam." Nate said, giving Ivysaur a thumbs up. "Now, use grassy terrain!"

"Saur!" It cried out happily as a type of green energy left its body and covered the entire field. The field changed from the standard battlefield into a grassy field.

"Now that our attacks are powered up, use vine whip!"

Ivysaur's vines emerged from its bulbs once more and rushed across the field. Both Nate and it knew that after using hyper beam, Nidoqueen would need to rest before being able to move again. The vines smacked across Nidoqueen's face, inflicting a decent amount of damage.

Nidoqueen wasn't too happy about the attack however, letting out a loud roar. It immediately started to fire off countless hyper beams into the sky.

"Now they've done it." Ebony sighed, sounding worried for her friend. She had learned that Nidoqueen didn't take nicely to being hurt by attacks. Last time it was used, the drill pokemon acted much worse, so Ebony at least was thankful to Professor Oak for helping mellow it down a little.

"What power..." Nick muttered, clearly amused by it. "It isn't even effected by the constant hyper beams."

"What is wrong with it?" Nate wondered as he ducked to avoid an incoming hyper beam. "Ivysaur, stop its movements with a vine whip that covers its entire body!"

"Ivysaur." The vines raced back across the field and wrapped themselves around Nidoqueen's body, trapping it in a tight enclosure. Nidoqueen noticed this and brought its full attention to Ivysaur.

"Well, we stopped the hyper beams, but now we have its undivided attention." Nate said as he let out a nervous chuckle.

Nidoqueen started to spin as fast as she could, causing Ivysaur to be picked up off the ground. Ivysaur soared through the air like a carnival ride, circling around Nidoqueen. Slowly, it started to lose its grip and one of the vines let go, followed shortly after by the second vine. Ivysaur went flying across the field, landing in front of Nate.

"Ivysaur, we have only one shot." Nate aid, calling out the big guns. "Fire another solar beam!"

Ivysaur started charging up its attack, when to its surprise, Nidoqueen started to charge straight for it. It seemed like Ivysaur would have no time to finish its attack as Nidoqueen drew closer. Ivysaur watched as Nidoqueen jumped into the air above it, before it started to descend towards it.

"That must be body slam. Ivysaur, fire away!" Nate called out. Ivysaur fired off the attack even though it wasn't at full power. The blast struck Nidoqueen directly, but the poison type was barely fazed by it.

Nidoqueen continued its downward assault, slicing right through the solar beam and crashed right into Ivysaur. The grass type was flattened worse than a pancake due to Nidoqueen's size. Once Nidoqueen stood up, it was clear that it was victorious, Ivysaur had fainted upon contact.

"Ivysaur is unable to battle. The winners are Ebony and Nidoqueen!" The referee declared.

"Nidoqueen return!" Ebony called out, returning the celebrating pokemon back to its pokeball. She had really hoped that Nidoqueen would be willing to work with her, but it would need more time.

"Ivysaur, you did amazing." Nate praised his pokemon as he recalled it to its pokeball. "Wow, that Nidoqueen is one tough cookie." He said, whistling to emprise his statement.

"Ya, I just wish it was willing to cooperate with me." Ebony said as she looked at Nidoqueen's pokeball. "Sometimes it feels like she doesn't even remember the good times we had together." Ebony explained as the duo rejoined everyone else, only this time Zach was with them.

"I told you not to use Nidoqueen." He said sternly. He had a look that meant he was dead serious about everything that he was going to say. "You knew how dangerous it could be, yet you still used it. It was a good thing the battle ended when it did."

"Hey, chill Zach." Nate said as he put a hand on Zach's shoulder, only for it to be shaken off immediately. "Nothing went wrong, just an amazing battle."

"No!" He exclaimed. "Nidoqueen could have gone crazy and who knows what would have happened." As he continued talking, he didn't notice the tears forming in Ebony's eyes. "This was an irresponsible mistake that you did, putting everyone hear in danger!" His fists were now clenched due to his own anger.

Ebony couldn't have it any longer, she finally let it out. "Why don't you just call me an idiot like I really am!" She yelled as she started to cry and ran for an exit, needing some space.

"Ebony..." Zach muttered, he never meant to hurt her, he was just looking out for everyone else.

"You know, you can be pretty mean, but I never thought you could be that cruel to Ebony." Nick said, starting to get sick of Zach.

"Ya, when I first met you, I thought you were a nice person. Now I see you yelling at our friend, all because she wanted to try and help get a better relationship with her pokemon. You should be ashamed." Janine sad, getting right into Zach's face.

"You don't understand." Zach muttered, just loud enough so they could hear him. "I was there when Nidoqueen evolved, it destroyed nearly everything in its path."

* * *

 _Flashback_

Ebony and her pokemon were sitting out in route 9, celebrating with her pokemon about their victory over the Cerulean Gym. "You guys were amazing." She said as she placed the badge into her case. "Magnimite, Meowth and Nidorina, you three did incredible." Ebony said, praising her pokemon as they ate away at the buffet she prepared for everyone. "That makes seven badges. We would have eight if it wasn't for that stupid Erika." Ebony said, pouting and crossing her arms at the mention of the Celadon Gym leader.

As they were all eating, the small group heard a rustling sound coming from the bushes. "Hey, maybe it's a pokemon that can help us beat Erika. Okay, Charmeleon you're up." She said, commanding her starter to battle. "Use fire spin on whatever is hiding in those bushes!"

"Char." The fire type cried out as a vortex of flames emerged from its mouth and surrounded the bush. Eventually the entire bush was ablaze and the group could hear something yelling from inside the bush.

"Huh, what could that be?" Ebony asked as she made her way closer to the bush. As she drew closer, the sound became clearer. It sounded as if a person was yelling. Ebony got as close as she could to the bush, only to have a figure jump out and collide with her.

Amidst the confusion, the newcomer ended up on the ground, with Ebony on top of whoever it was. "Ahhh, my whole body burns." A familiar voice said. "Who in their right mind sets a bush on fire?" The person complained.

Ebony was starting to regain her vision following the collision. She opened her eyes, only to see Zach's face in front of her. "Zach?!" She cried out. "What are you doing here?" Ebony asked before seeing the situation they were in. Her face turned a deep shade of red from embarrassment. She quickly got off the ground and straightened her clothes and hair out.

"Well, I was looking around this route for wild pokemon." He started to explain. Zach then stood up, brushing the dirt off his clothes. His face was also a bright red from embarrassment. "I was checking out that bush and then the next thing I know, some hot headed trainer set it on fire." He playfully teased Ebony. He then started to laugh from the situation. "So, a better question is, why are you out here?"

"Well, my pokemon and I were celebrating our seventh gym badge with a huge lunch I cooked." She said, pointing to the large spread she had prepared. "Now I only need one more badge to qualify for the league championship."

"That's great, Ebony." Zach said, happiness filling his voice. "I have seven myself, but I'm challenging the Cerulean Gym tomorrow." He explained as he started to walk away. "I better get going, I don't want to be intruding on anything."

"Wait!" Ebony yelled as she grabbed Zach's arm to keep him from leaving. "There's plenty of food for you and your pokemon, I made plenty." Ebony said, she faced away from Zach as she felt herself blushing.

Zach turned around and noticed all the food. He then thought about how it would be nice to catch up with Ebony, they hadn't seen each other since they all left Pallet Town. "Sure, why not." He said, as he sat down and motioned for Ebony to sit next to him.

The two sat there, talking about their travels so far, mentioning the best parts and the worst parts. "So, you really can't beat Erika? If you need help, I'm more than willing to help you out." He offered.

Ebony chuckled at the request. "You always did offer to help me, even back at Professor Oak's school. You helped tutor me through the classes. But, I want to do this on my own with just my pokemon."

"I understand." He said, completely fine with her decision. "I always help out my friend." Zach was right, Ebony was his only real friend. Everyone else just wanted to see his dad's pokemon. There were a few others that were friends with him, but not like Ebony. The two were close.

As the two were talking, neither noticed Ebony's Nidorina dig through Zach's backpack, looking for anything to eat. After a while, the poison type stumbled upon a rock which once it touched the rock, Nidorina started to glow bright white catching everyone's attention.

"Nidorina, what's happening?" Ebony asked, unsure of why it would be glowing white without an evolution occurring.

"It went through my bag!" Zach exclaimed, surprised that he didn't notice it before.

"I'm sorry, she didn't ruin anything did she?"

"No, it's not that. I had a moon stone in there. She must have touched it, triggering an evolution into a Nidoqueen." He explained just as the evolution was complete.

"Wow! Nidoqueen, you must be pretty strong." Ebony cried out, impressed by the pokemon standing before her. Upon hearing those words, Nidoqueen's pride was hurt and wanted to fix that. She started to cried out and slam her tail into the ground, wanting to battle.

"Hey, Nidoqueen wants to test out her new strength. Let's have a little battle. I have a new pokemon I've been wanting to try out." Zach proposed.

"Alright, you're on. The loser has to clean the dishes." Ebony said, raising the stakes.

"Fine, but don't think I'll help once I win. Go, Kadabra!" He yelled as he tossed a pokeball, revealing a bi-pedal yellow creature that was holding a spoon in one hand.

"Okay, go, Nidoqueen!" The large pokemon walked out in front of Ebony, ready to do battle. "Start off with your body slam!"

Nidoqueen charged towards Kadabra before jumping into the air. While soaring towards the ground, the drill pokemon repositioned its body so it could perform a belly slam on Kadabra.

"Kadabra, blast it away with your psybeam attack!" Zach called out. Kadabra fired off the multicolored beam from its spoon, colliding directly with Nidoqueen. The blast caused Nidoqueen to be sent flying backwards until it landed in front of Ebony.

"Nidoqueen, try your body slam once more!" Ebony called out, only for Nidoqueen not to listen now. It slammed its tail into the ground, signaling Ebony to stop talking. It then fired off a thunderbolt right at Kadabra.

"Quick, use light screen, then use another psybeam!" Kadabra quickly created a shield out of light, bouncing the thunderbolt right off of the light screen. It then vanished as Kadabra fired off another psybeam, striking Nidoqueen directly.

Nidoqueen wasn't too excited. First, its trainer questioned its strength and now it was being defeated by this Kadabra. Nidoqueen let out a cry and slammed its tail down before firing a hyper beam right at Kadabra. The psychic type had no time to react as it was struck by the powerful blast, knocking it out on contact.

Despite winning, Nidoqueen continued launching hyper beam after hyper beam. It was destroying the entire forest due to its rage and unless someone did something about it, this destruction would continue. "Nidoqueen, the battle is over!" Ebony called out. "You can stop!" She yelled as she reached for Nidoqueen's pokeball.

Upon seeing the pokeball, Nidoqueen turned her attack towards Ebony, preparing a hyper beam for her.

"No!" Zach called out as he tossed a pokeball. "Graveler, use protect!" He said as a large boulder with four arms stood in front of Ebony. As the blast of energy approached, a greenish shield made up of energy surrounded Graveler and Ebony, shielding them from the attack.

Zach quickly grabbed a second pokeball and tossed it out. "Tangela, use sleep powder!" A pokemon that was covered in blue vines appeared as it sprayed a green powder over Nidoqueen, causing it to grow drowsy and fall asleep.

"Thank you, Zach. You saved me." Ebony said, panting from everything that just occurred.

"Don't mention it. Just return it to its pokeball before it wakes up." He said, panting from exhaustion.

"Right, Nidoqueen, return!" She said, returning the pokemon to its pokeball. "Why did you help me? You could have gotten hurt as well."

Zach smiled at her. "I told you, we're friends and I would help you know matter what. Promise me, you won't use her unless you know you can handle it. I won't always be around."

* * *

Ebony was sitting outside of the stadium, trying to hold back tears. _I won't cry. I'm stronger than that._ She kept telling herself. As she was sitting, she could hear footsteps. Ebony looked up and saw Zach standing before her. She was still upset over what he said and decided to let him know it. "What, you didn't get enough pleasure from before? You need to rub it in my face how I'm a lousy trainer!" She said, getting in his face.

Silence, Zach didn't respond. He just stood there until he decided to break the silence. "Ebony, I'm sorry." He began. "You know as much as I do that you're my closest friend. I would never do anything to hurt you." Zach said, sitting down next to Ebony. She immediately turned to face another direction, she didn't want to look at him at all. "I didn't mean to hurt you. It's just I was scared when I saw Nidoqueen start to go off. It reminded me of that day." He paused for a minute before wiping his eyes. "Ebony, you're really special to me. I don't know what I would do if something happened. I promised you that I'd always protect you when I was around, but I can't protect you when I'm not. That's why I said the things I did. I panicked, thinking that I could lose you because of Nidoqueen." Zach said as he got up to leave. "I understand if you hate me, I'm sorry, but don't let this get between our bond." Before Ebony could respond, Zach was already heading back inside.

Ebony turned to see him walking away, her face crimson red from what he just said. "Zach..." She muttered to herself while looking at Nidoqueen's pokeball. "I promise you, I'll get Nidoqueen under control and show you that you don't need to worry. You always help me, let me help you this time." She finished as she headed back inside.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it is now time for the second round to begin!" The announcer began. "In the first match we have Janine and Nick facing off against each other."

"Well, it's time." Nick said as he walked towards the field.

"Yeah" Janine replied. Her nerves were starting to act up again. As she was walking, she could hear Samurai yell something to her.

"Just relax and you'll do fine!"

 _Yeah. I just need to relax. Just like last time, believe in my pokemon and I know we can win._ She thought as she walked into the field.

* * *

 **Just a heads up, I have the rest of this story written out. I just have to type it and see what I want to be kept in the final copy. Right Now I have the group in Fuchsia City for another 3-4 chapters. This depends on how much I can fit into each chapter without making it seem too much. Then, it'll be about 3-6 chapters from when they leave Fuchsia City to Nick's next gym badge. I won't spoil who it is against. This is because I am rereading what I have written and I don't know if I want to keep some of it. After that it'll be about 2 to 3 chapters until the league starts.**

 **I would just like to thank everyone who has read and reviewed this story. Following Kanto I plan to do (in order) the Orange Islands, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, Unova, Kalos. I'm not sure about doing a battle frontier yet.**

 **Team:**

 **Nick- 7 badges:**

 **Eevee- swift, quick attack, dig, shadow ball**

 **Kingler- water gun, crabhammer, stomp, mud shot**

 **Charizard- flamethrower, ember, dragon tail, brick break**

 **Gastly- night shade, venoshock, hypnosis, dark pulse**

 **Hitmonchan- mach punch, agility, comet punch, thunder punch**

 **At Oak's:**

 **Beedrill- poison sting, fury attack, twinneedle, hyper beam**

 **Shellder**

* * *

 **Samurai- league exam badge:**

 **Pinsir- x-scissor, bulldoze, harden, revenge**

 **Venonat- supersonic, poison fang, confusion, signal beam**

 **Parasect- energy ball, stun spore, fury cutter, slash**

 **Sandshrew- Rollout, mud-slap, dig**

 **At home:**

 **Butterfree- aerial ace, sleep powder**

* * *

 **Janine- league exam badge:**

 **Venonat- psybeam, foresight,**

 **Zubat- wing attack, supersonic, venoshock**

 **Grimer- sludge bomb, poison jab**

 **Vulpix- ember, flame charge, attract.**

* * *

 **Ebony- 8 Badges:**

 **Chameleon- fire spin, overheat, rock slide, protect**

 **Meowth- thunderbolt, fury swipes**

 **Magneton- electro ball, thunder wave**

 **Seel**

 **Nidoqueen- hyper beam, body slam, thunderbolt, ice punch**


	40. A Stunning Conclusion! Defeat Nidoking!

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Pokemon.**

* * *

"The first match of the second round will pit Nick against Janine. Both trainers overcame adversity during their first battles. Both trainers should be up for another great battle!" The announcer said, pumping the crowd up. "Let's see what pokemon the two will be using!"

Nick laughed at this comment. "Hey, Janine!" Nick said, getting her attention. "I think you already know who I plan on using." He then tossed his pokeball. "Gastly, I choose you!" The pokeball opened up, revealing the ghost and poison type.

"Nick has chosen to rely on Gastly once again. Who will Janine choose to counter the crafty pokemon?" The announcer asked, curious himself.

 _Grimer wouldn't be a good choice against something like Gastly, but Venonat is probably too tired to battle again._ Janine thought as she ran her hand alongside her pokeballs. "Okay, it's up to you, Zubat!" She said, tossing a pokeball. The pokeball opened, revealing her Zubat, which immediately flew around stretching itself out.

"Janine has decided to take this battle into the air, having chosen a Zubat! Fans, be ready to watch an eventful battle unfold!" The announcer called out, his voice filled with enthusiasm. _I've been a travelling announcer for years, but something about this generation has me excited. It reminds me about that last group of kids._ He thought, waiting for the first move to take place.

"Gastly, we'll go first. Use night shade!" Nick called out, he decided to see what Zubat could really do. He had never seen Zubat in action before.

"Zubat, dodge with double team!" Janine called out.

Zubat started to create copies of itself as they all fluttered in place, waiting for Gastly to attack. Janine hoped that all of the targets could confuse Gastly.

"Gastly?" It asked, unsure of what to do. It decided to just attack anyway and shot off the night shade attack, hitting a few of the Zubats. Unfortunately, Gastly only managed to hit the copies. Nick and Gastly watched as a horde of Zubat approached them.

"Zubat, counter with your wing attack!" Janine called out. She was in a groove and didn't plan on taking her time. She knew that if Nick was given the chance, he could turn this battle around. The Zubats flew towards Gastly, their wings all glowing white.

Nick decided to think quickly. "Gastly, phase out of sight, then reappear!" Gastly vanished before Zubat could strike her, causing Zubat to continue flying forward. "Great, now reappear!" Nick called out.

Janine smirked at this. "Zubat, reposition now!" She called out. Zubat started to do a backflip, only to stop once it was upside down. The copies did the same exact thing and soon a whole horde of Zubat approached Gastly, whose back was facing the incoming attack.

The Zubat all struck Gastly right in the back of its body. Gastly started to float down towards the ground because of the sharp pain while the copies vanished. Zubat then flew over to Janine and perched itself on her outstretched arm.

"Great job Zubat." Janine said, praising the bat pokemon. Zubat then fluttered back into the air. "Now, use venoshock!" Zubat opened its mouth, firing off the attack. The purple liquid shot out of its mouth, covering Gastly in it.

"Ah!" Nick called out, shocked that Zubat could change direction that fast. _Zubat is fast. If we want to win, Gastly and myself will need to try something else._ Nick thought as he watched Gastly recover from the venoshock attack. Luckily it wasn't that effective. "Gastly use venoshock on Zubat, before it can get away!"

"Gastly." The gas pokemon cried out. Gastly opened its mouth to fire off the attack. A stream of purple liquid started fly out of Gastly's mouth until the stream was closing in on Zubat.

Zubat was flying away, but the Venoshock was catching up to it. _We have to try something..._ Janine thought while watching the attack close in. As she was thinking, a gust of wind blew through the air making it hard for Zubat to fly. _That's it!_ "Zubat!" She yelled out. "Don't fight the wind, fly with it!"

Zubat agreed with the tactic, quickly turning around and faced the attack. Zubat charged towards the attack and waited for a gust of wind. Just like Janine thought, a gust arrived and helped push Zubat over the attack.

"Now Gastly, dark pulse!" Nick called out. He noticed something was up when Janine ordered Zubat to turn around. He then had Gastly follow his attack and now the two pokemon were face to face.

"What!?" She cried out in shock. Zubat dod-." Janine tried to tell Zubat to dodge, but was cut off by Gastly's attack.

The ghost type fired off its attack, striking Zubat directly. The black and purple attack struck Zubat right in its chest, causing the bat to drop out of the sky. Zubat started to descend, heading straight for the ground until a gust of wind blew through the arena. The wind was strong enough to help Zubat recover and glide back into the air.

"Way to go Zubat!" Janine called out, impressed by how calm Zubat was acting, not allowing the situation to make it panic. "Now, wing attack!" Zubat charged towards Gastly, ready to strike the ghost type.

"Gastly, dodge and then use night shade!" Gastly started to float upwards, trying to get above Zubat. As the ghost type rose above the bat pokemon, its eyes started to glow a deep shade of black.

Janine watched as Gastly was about to counter her attack, but then another gust of wind blew through the stadium. This one was different, much stronger than the previous gust. This one helped Zubat increase its speed as it rode the gust, but Gastly was also affected as well. What caught Janine's eye was that Gastly was struggling in the wind, being blown around without having any control.

"Gastly, what's going on?" Nick asked, unsure of why Gastly couldn't control where it tried to fly. He watched as Gastly struggled to fly up above the approaching Zubat. Nick then remembered something about Gastly. _Gastly is completely made out of gas. That means with a strong enough wind, it can be easily blown around against its will._ Nick then became worried, if Gastly couldn't control where it went, they would be in trouble. "Gastly, forget about going any higher, launch the night shade!"

"Gas..." It managed to mutter. Gastly then stopped fighting the wind and launched its attack. The night shade flew from its eyes and soared across the sky, heading straight for Zubat. Both Nock and Gastly hoped that the attack would make Zubat dodge and cancel its current attack.

Janine wasn't having any of it though. "Zubat, fly straight through the attack and hit Gastly!" Zubat continued to fly forward, cutting right through the night shade and charging straight into Gastly. Gastly however was still firing off its night shade when Zubat collided with it, causing an explosion to occur. The explosion knocked both pokemon out of the air, sending both of them on a course to crash into the ground.

Both trainers were still thinking about how they could take advantage of the situation. "Quick, use hypnosis!" They both yelled out. Both pokemon launched their respective hypnosis attacks. Gastly launched red rings from its eyes, causing Zubat to grow drowsy. Zubat likewise, fired off the hypnotic rings from its mouth. These rings struck Gastly, causing it to grow drowsy as well. Both pokemon fell asleep as they continued their downward path into the ground, crashing into the field.

"Both pokemon have fallen asleep!" The announcer yelled. "In all my years announcing, I have never seen a double hypnosis occur. Since neither pokemon is knocked out, we must wait until one wakes up to continue the battle!" Everyone watched as neither pokemon showed signs of waking up anytime soon. Eventually, everyone grew bored of watching the two pokemon sleep.

"How long has it been?" Samurai asked, pacing back and forth. "It feels like it has been hours."

"Where did you learn to tell time?" Nate joked. He then looked at his watch to check the time. "Relax, it's only been about fifteen minutes."

"Gastly, come on. You have to get up, now!" Nick called out, they couldn't allow Zubat to awaken first and get an easy attack off. Gastly didn't respond to Nick's demand, only letting out a long yawn. Seeing this, Nick hung his head in sadness. "Gastly, please try and fight off this hypnosis. You're my only hope.

Janine likewise was having no luck trying to wake Zubat up at all. Every attempt she tried always led to the same outcome, Zubat doing absolutely nothing. She supped her hands together as she called out to the bat pokemon one more time. "Please Zubat, I can't do this without you!" This time there was a small reaction from Zubat. The bat pokemon's wings started to twitch before its entire body started to glow white.

Zubat's body grew in size, its wings growing twice their original size. Along with its new size, Zubat grew a pair of eyes and feet along with its mouth becoming huge. Due to the bright light, Gastly was awaken and stared along with everyone else as Zubat finished evolving into a Golbat.

"No way..." Janine muttered, surprised to see her Zubat having evolved despite not being used that much. She then shook off her shock and was amazed with Golbat. "This is amazing Golbat. You evolved and became much stronger!"

"What!" Nick called out, starting to grow worried. Both Gastly and Zubat were growing tired, but ever since Zubat evolved it looked like it was refreshed while Gastly was still fatigued. "Gastly, use night shade, don't give Golbat a chance to attack!"

"Gastly, gas." It cried out as it launched the black beams. The attack struck Golbat directly in the chest, but the poison type seemed unharmed. "Gastly?" The gas pokemon asked, growing concerned about its chances of winning.

Golbat retuned the attack, not waiting for an order. Golbat charged up a spherical ball of energy in its mouth before firing it off at Gastly. The ghost type didn't know what the attack was, but it wasn't taking any chances. It dodged the first one, but Golbat started firing off multiple attacks at once, giving Gastly a hard time.

"Wait." Janine muttered while trying to figure out the attack. "That looks like shadow ball." As she said this Gastly was still fast enough to continue dodging each attack. Finally one of the shadow balls struck Gastly, sending down into the field.

Nick wasn't ready to admit defeat however, quickly calling out a command. "Gastly, phase away before you get hit again!" Gastly followed the orders, phasing into the ground and avoiding another shadow ball. Both Janine and Golbat were watching for any traces of Gastly. "Now!" Nick yelled as Gastly appeared behind Golbat. The bat pokemon was then struck by a night shade attack at a close range.

Golbat turned around, ready to attack back only for Gastly to disappear. Once again, Gastly appeared behind Golbat and struck it with another night shade before disappearing. _Think Janine, how do you stop Gastly from phasing in and out?"_ Janine pondered this, watching as Golbat was constantly attacked. Finally an idea came to her when she felt a light breeze. _That's it!_ "Golbat!" Janine called out, getting its attention. "Start spinning in a circle, while doing that, flap your wings as hard as you possibly can!"

Golbat nodded in agreement as it started to spin, picking up speed thanks to the wind. Once it was at a comfortable speed, the bat pokemon flapped its wings, creating giant gusts of wind to fill the stadium. The gusts caused many items in the stadium to shake and be blown away, but the only one she was hoping to effect was Gastly.

"Now!" Nick yelled, signaling for Gastly to attack. The gas pokemon reappeared, only to be effected by the wind. Gastly was unable to control its body, being blown around in multiple directions. Unsure of what was happening, it still launched the attack only to miss its target.

"Great job Golbat! Now finish this with shadow ball!" Janine called out, giving Golbat a thumbs up for its hard work. Golbat stopped spinning so it could charge up its finishing attack. The ball of ghostly energy was bigger than before, showing that Golbat wasn't fooling around.

"Gastly!" Nick called out to his pokemon. "You need to put everything you have into this attack! Use dark pulse!" Nick yelled with all his might. He was getting exhausted from this battle as well. He wiped the sweat from his forehead as he watched Gastly launch the attack.

"Now Golbat, launch the attack!" Janine called out, both trainers knew this was it. Not only were the pokemon at their max, but so were themselves. This battle had put a lot of strain on both Nick and Janine.

The two pokemon launched their final attacks at the same time. Unfortunately, Gastly was still a little dizzy from when it was pulled into Golbat's trap. Gastly's attack was off the mark, soaring a few inches to the left of Golbat. Golbat's attack was a direct hit however. The shadow ball crashed into Gastly, causing the gas pokemon to faint.

"Gastly is unable to battle. The winners are Janine and Golbat." The referee declared.

Nick watched as the screen showed Janine moving on into the final four. He could only smile, Gastly gave it everything. "Gastly, return! You did amazing, I couldn't ask for more. Take a long rest." He said, looking at the pokeball. His whole body then gave out on him, causing him to sit on the ground, exhausted from the match.

Likewise, Janine had already collapsed to her knees. The battle had been extremely draining for her. At one point it seemed like she was done for. Seeing its trainer sitting there, Golbat flew over to her and sat on Janine's shoulder. "I'm alright Golbat, just a little tired." She said, reassuring her pokemon. "You did amazing though. You pulled off a great comeback. I thought we were done for at one point, and then you fought back and won it for us!" Janine said, embracing the bat pokemon.

Nick watched the exchange the exchange and couldn't help but laugh. This was what a true pokemon battle was about, having fun, not mattering if you won or lost. He then stood up and walked over to Janine. "That was one great battle, wasn't it?" He asked, stretching his hand out to help her up.

Janine reached for his hand, using it to pull herself up. "Ya. I didn't think I could pull it off. Then Golbat evolved and the whole battle changed." She admitted.

"I wouldn't say that." Nick said, still smiling from the battle. "You figured out that the wind can affect Gastly before me and used it to your advantage. You probably would have done the same thing with Zubat, there would be no way to counter it." Nick explained. Janine won by using skill and she deserved to know it. "Trust me, you are a skilled trainer. You have shown it countless times."

"Thank you. You're skilled yourself." She said, playing around with Nick.

"Well, I already knew that, so it isn't much of a surprise." Nick said, going along with it. The two trainers then left the field so the next battle could start.

"That was amazing!" Samurai cried out, excited from the previous battle. "If people didn't know better, they would have mistaken it for the championship."

"Well," Nick began while rubbing the back of his neck. "I just wanted to have a good battle and I wasn't going to leave anything out on the field. I just wish that a few lucky bounces went my way."

The group then noticed Ebony. She had been silent since reentering the stadium. Her mind was racing, trying to comprehend everything that just happened during her match. _I really thought Nidoqueen would listen to me. What am I doing wrong, Nidorina always listened to me._ She thought as her friends approached her.

"Ebony, everything alright now?" Janine asked, she didn't have any time to ask her before because of the match. "You ran out of here pretty quickly, is there anything I can do to help?"

Ebony shook her head, telling them that there wasn't anything they can do. "Thanks, but this is something I need to do on my own." She explained, her voice still a little hoarse from her crying from before. "I need to reconnect with Nidoqueen somehow, otherwise, how will I ever be able to use it again." She finished, her voice trailing off by the end.

"Well, why don't we go train until your match?" Nick said before losing his balance due to his fatigue. "I'm always ready to go train. Plus I have nothing else to do because I lost." He explained, smiling towards his friend.

"I'd love to, but you're in no condition to really train right now." Ebony pointed out. She then stood up so Nick could sit down and relax a little. "Maybe training with Nidoqueen is a good idea. I'll see if Nate and Zach will help me. Nate is out of the tournament and all of Zach's pokemon are rested." She stated, walking away to go find the other two Pallet Town trainers.

"So, are you really ready to use Nidoqueen so soon?" Zach asked. His interest had peaked once Ebony asked him to help her train Nidoqueen. He was still a little nervous about her using Nidoqueen, unable to forget his first experience with the pokemon.

"Yes. The sooner I can become closer to her, the sooner I can use her without any worries" She explained. Zach wasn't really interested though, he was too busy thinking about everything that could go wrong. Ebony noticed this and decided to try and persuade him. "Please! If you help me, I promise I'll help you out the next time you need it." She noticed that Zach still wasn't budging, so she decided to pull out the big guns. "You did tell me that you would help me with anything."

Zach looked up once he heard those words. It was true, he did promise her that he would help if she ever needed it. "Alright, but you need to follow a few rules. Alright?" He asked his fellow trainer, still not sure that this was a good idea. "First off, whatever I say goes. Second, and this is the most important one, if Nidoqueen starts to go out of control you must return her to its pokeball immediately."

"That's perfectly fine with me." She replied, full of excitement. "Now, let's get going. I need to train before my match and now the second match is starting. We really don't have much time." She explained, grabbing Zach by his arm and pulling him away.

The two eventually found an empty location, perfect for a place to train Nidoqueen. It was a small field, not too far from the stadium, but far enough away from any bystanders in the city. Zach reached for a pokeball, tossing it into the sky. "Go, Blastoise!" The pokeball opened, revealing the water type. Zach started to scratch underneath Blastoise's chin before turning towards Ebony. "I want you to call Nidoqueen out of her pokeball. Then, we'll work on you two growing closer by you taking care of her."

"Okay." Ebony said as she tossed the pokeball. Nidoqueen appeared from the pokeball, letting out a load roar. Ebony covered her eyes from the load roar, partly from the loudness and partly due to her being nervous. "Hey, Nidoqueen. It's me Ebony, we're going to do some training now. Okay?" She explained, her voice still sounding timid.

"No." Zach said, hearing the timidness in her voice. "You need to sound confident, pokmon listen to strong trainers. If a pokemon sees you as weak, they are less likely to listen." He finished explaining before walking over to Nidoqueen. He faced the drill pokemon, about to rub under her chin like he did with Blastoise. Nidoqueen was hesitant to allow Zach to touch her, but relented. Zach then casually scratched the bottom of her chin, relaxing Nidoqueen. "See, if I was nervous, Nidoqueen might have felt scared and attack me. Now, I want you to try." He said, grabbing Ebony's hand and bringing it towards Nidoqueen.

Ebony however couldn't remain calm, worrying about Nidoqueen possibly attacking her. Nidoqueen could sense the tension and pulled away from Ebony, not wanting this to continue any longer. Ebony noticed her failure and let out a sigh of disappointment. "I'll never get Nidoqueen to listen to me. I just wish that things between Nidoqueen and myself could go back to how they used to be."

"Well, it will take time. It seems like you both have had a falling out with each other. Why don't we just relax and try and remember exactly when Nidoqueen started disobeying." Zach decided, he was going to do everything he could to help these two out.

"Well, we really only battled together once. That was against you when she first evolved." Ebony pointed out. "Once it evolved, I pointed out how strong she must be and then she immediately wanted to battle. We started out alright, but as it continued she stopped listening."

Zach stood there, listening to everything Ebony stated. "It seems like Nidoqueen might be a prideful pokemon. Maybe the way you were amazed by its strength came off wrong to it?" Zach wondered. Anything could be possible by this point. "Maybe if you show Nidoqueen that you truly trust it in your next match, then maybe she'll start to listen more."

"You really think so?" Ebony questioned, only to receive a nod from Zach. She then faced Nidoqueen before speaking. "Nidoqueen, I don't know if I hurt your pride at all, but I'll prove to you that I trust your strength in battle by letting you call the shots next round. But, I really believe that we could be even stronger if we worked together." She said, recalling Nidoqueen into its pokeball. Ebony then embraced Zach in a hug, catching the male trainer by surprise. "Thank you Zach for helping me. I don't know what I would have done if you didn't help me."

Zach didn't know how to respond, so he did the only thing he knew how to. "Um, you're welcome." He replied, a little nervous because of the unexpected hug. "I told you before, I will always help you when you need it." Ebony then let go of him so that the two trainers could head back inside.

Once inside, Ebony realized how much time actually went by, seeing that Samurai was in his match at the moment. Luckily for her, her match hadn't started yet. If she had missed her match, then her trying to bond with Nidoqueen would have been useless. Down on the field, Samurai was using his Venonat against a male trainer who was using an Ekans. The match seemed to be evenly matched, but Samurai and Venonat were being pushed into a corner.

* * *

"Ekans, use your screech attack!" The male called out. The command was followed by Ekans opening its mouth and releasing a high pitched noise. The noise affected Venonat, causing the insect pokemon to cry out in pain.

"Venonat, try and shake it off." Samurai said, trying to keep this match from slipping away. He needed to think of something and fast. Samurai watched the way Ekans moved around the field, slithering around in a familiar pattern. It was almost like they were trying to hunt Venonat like it was Ekans' pray. After watching Ekans circle Venonat like it was waiting to strike, Samurai figured out a plan. "Venonat, launch a signal beam to your left!"

"Venonat!" The insect pokemon cried as it launched the blue beam of energy. Both Ekans and its trainer seemed excited for the attack, waiting for it to get close only for Ekans to lunge for Venonat.

"Ekans, use bite on Venonat before it can change directions." The trainer called out. Ekans slithered across the field, biting down onto Venonat's face. "Great, a direct hit." He said before noticing the smirk on Samurai's face. "Hey, what's so funny? Last time I checked, your pokemon is being attacked."

"The funny thing is, you obviously didn't pay attention to my previous battle." Samurai explained before calling out to Venonat. "Now, use confusion!" This might be the last move Venonat could use effectively, so Samurai was risking everything here. The battle was going on for a while now and both pokemon were growing fatigued. Venonat however was tiring faster due to this being its second battle of the day.

"Veno, venonat." It said as its eyes glowed blue. Eventually Ekans' body was glowing blue, having been trapped by the attack. Venonat lifted the poison type off of its body and lifted it up into the sky before flinging it back down towards the ground.

As Ekans was being flung towards the ground, the male trainer used this to his advantage. "Ekans, once you hit the ground continue burrowing underground with dig." Ekans was able to break loose of the confusion just enough to spin its body like a drill. As it collided with the ground, the snake pokemon burrowed underground just like its trainer commanded, making Samurai worried.

"Venonat, watch out for anything. Ekans could reappear at any moment!" He called out, unsure of what to do. There would be no way of countering an attack from this close at this point in the battle. Besides, Venonat used up most of its remaining strength in the last attack. The duo watched the ground, looking for any signs of an attack.

Eventually, the ground beneath Venonat crumbled as Ekans soared through the ground and struck Venonat. The force of the attack causing the insect pokemon to fly up into the air. The trainer wasn't taking any chances however and continued his attack, ordering Ekans a new command. "Continue attacking with poison sting!"

The snake pokemon opened its mouth and fired off a countless amount of needles at Venonat. Venonat was unable to counter at all, its body falling back towards the ground making it too hard to aim an attack. The poisonous needles struck Venonat, inflicting damage onto the pokemon. After the attack, Venonat crashed into the ground, having fainted during its time in the air.

"Venonat is unable to battle. The winner is Michael and Ekans!" The referee declared.

"Venonat..." Samurai said, surprised that they lost. "You gave it everything, I couldn't ask for more out of you. Thank you for fighting valiantly and take a nice rest." He said, recalling the fatigued pokemon back into its pokeball.

"You weren't half bad." Michael said as he walked by Samurai. "It was fun, but," he started, pausing for suspense. "I'm here to win and no one is getting in my way. That means you or anyone else I'll have to beat." He finished as he continued walking away.

* * *

"Alright, we will now have the final match of the second round begin!" The announcer said. It had been a few minutes following Samurai's defeat and the crowd was getting impatient. "This match features Ebony against Heather."

Heather was about Ebony's height and was wearing a purple top with a blue skirt and had long blond hair which went down to her shoulders. "Hey!" Heather called out, hoping to get Ebony's attention. "I hope this can be a fun battle." She finished while smiling, showing how innocent she was.

"Ya, me too." Ebony replied, somewhat nervous about letting Nidoqueen run the battle without Ebony's help. Her arms started to shake a little as she reached for the pokeball, grasping it in her sweaty palms Ebony tossed the ball onto the field. "Go, Nidoqueen!" The ball opened, showing Nidoqueen standing their looking like it had already won the match.

"Wow, a Nidoqueen!" Heather exclaimed, clearly excited about seeing the pokemon. "I've never seen one in person, this is awesome. Now, what pokemon should I choose?" She pondered as she picked at each of her pokeballs. "Oh, I know. Venomoth, come on out!" Heather said, having decided on which pokemon.

"Ebony has decided to use her Nidoqueen again, while Heather has chosen her Venomoth. Two very different types of battling, this should be an interesting matchup for both trainers!" The announcer explained, hyping the crowd up.

Before the match could begin, Heather called out to Ebony once more. "Before we start, I think it's really cute how your boyfriend helped you train your pokemon earlier!" She said, bubbly as before.

"Huh? I think you're mistaken, I don't have a boyfriend." Ebony replied. She was shaking her hands to help get the message across, but it wasn't helping. "I think you have me confused with someone else."

Now it was Heather's turn to disagree. "No, you were training earlier right? I saw you with Nidoqueen and some boy. What was his name? Zatch, Zeke, Zeus?" She wondered as she read names off. "Oh yeah, Zach. His name was Zach. You two really hit it off well, almost like you're seeing each other."

"No, he's a friend from my hometown. Zach just offered to help me train before my next match. Nothing else, there is absolutely nothing going on between us." Ebony tried to explain, but was starting to blush a little from the question. "Can we get this battle moving?"

"Wait!" Heather cried out quickly. "If he really isn't your boyfriend, is it alright... if I see, if he wanted to, you know..." She tried to say, but was tripping over her words.

Ebony picked up on what she was trying to say. "You want to know if you could ask Zach out?" She said, somewhat asking and somewhat stating it. "I really don't care, do what you want. Just get this battle going!" Even though she said that, part of her was upset that this person would even think of asking Zach out on a date.

"Ok!" Heather said cheerfully. "Venomoth, fly above Nidoqueen and then use psybeam!" The poison moth pokemon flew up into the sky until it hovered above the drill pokemon. As if on cue, Venomoth's antennas glowed as they fired off the multicolored beam. The beam traveled down upon Nidoqueen, engulfing the poison type in the super effective attack.

Nidoqueen cried out from the attack, firing off a thunderbolt to cancel out the attack. Ebony decided to try and compliment Nidoqueen, hoping that it would help mend the rift between them. "Nice job, Nidoqueen. Now show them who is in charge!" She said while pointing towards Venomoth. Nidoqueen roared in approval as it jumped into the air, showing off its amazing jumping skills. The drill pokemon soared up into the sky until it collided into Venomoth, dragging the poison moth pokemon down to the ground under its stomach.

Heather couldn't stand to see her poor Venomoth crushed like that. "Oh, Venomoth are you alright? Get rid of that mean Nidoqueen with a powerful energy ball!" No one could tell if Venomoth heard the command until a green light started to shine underneath Nidoqueen. The drill pokemon was then blasted high into the sky by a green sphere while Venomoth was able to recover from the body slam. "Great work, Venomoth. I knew you could pull through." She cried out happily.

Ebony watched as Nidoqueen struggled to stand up having taken two powerful attacks head on. She thought of the only way to get through to Nidoqueen and tried it. "Come on Nidoqueen, I know you can fight better than that!" If there was one thing that was true about Nidoqueen, it was the fact she loved to fight. Nidoqueen stood up and roared, showing everyone that it wasn't ready to give up just yet. She then charged towards Venomoth, her fist starting to become frozen.

Heather lied when she said earlier this was the first time seeing a Nidoqueen. She watched Ebony's match before and picked up on Nidoqueen's disobedience issues. She noticed before how wild Nidoqueen could become when angered enough. From the looks of it, Nidoqueen was just starting to get mad. "Venomoth, fly into the sky and constantly dodge." Venomoth flew into the sky, avoiding the first ice punch. Nidoqueen roared in anger as it missed, only to continue missing. Every time Nidoqueen swung at Venomoth, the poison moth would fly higher and dodge the attack.

Heather couldn't help but laugh out of excitement. "That's enough, Venomoth. Now use psychic!" Venomoth's eyes glowed blue as Nidoqueen was covered in the same blue glow. Nidoqueen started to float above the ground, followed by its body being thrown around. "This is so exciting! I'm going to win."

Ebony was starting to sweat, Nidoqueen had to break free, but how? She thought of many different ideas, but none seemed that helpful. "Nidoqueen!" She called out, managing to get the drill pokemon's attention. "I know we've had some differences, but if we work together we can beat this pest. Now, use hyper beam!" Ebony watched as Nidoqueen didn't respond, she then thought that their chance of winning was gone. Ebony lowered her head, disappointed in herself when she then heard Nidoqueen roar. A large hyper beam then followed, Venomoth was forced to stop the psychic attack. Nidoqueen was dropped from the sky, but continued attacking and managed to strike Venomoth directly.

Heather watched as Venomoth started to drop out of the sky. Thinking quickly, she came up with a plan to counterattack. "Use aerial ace, quickly!" Venomoth managed to reposition itself before flying straight for Nidoqueen. The poison moth pokemon picked up speed until it vanished right in front of Nidoqueen. Venomoth then immediately pierced Nidoqueen's back, causing the drill pokemon to cry out in pain. "Great, now one more time." Venomoth continued the attack, flying right for Nidoqueen once again.

"Nidoqueen!" Ebony called out in concern, Nidoqueen had started listening a little, but was it enough for Nidoqueen to trust her on this. "Cover your whole body in a thunderbolt!" She cried out, hoping that Nidoqueen would listen. To her surprise Nidoqueen used thunderbolt, covering its entire body in the attack. Venomoth unfortunately flew right into Nidoqueen as she shocked herself. The electricity flew through Venomoth's body, electrocuting the poison type.

"No! Venomoth, you have to get up!" Heather cried out to no avail, Venomoth showed no response at all.

"Nidoqueen, finish this off with a body slam!" Nidoqueen roared in approval as she fell forward crushing Venomoth. Nidoqueen laid there, making sure Venomoth wouldn't be able to continue battling. After a minute, Nidoqueen rose off the ground, showing that Venomoth had fainted.

"Venomoth is unable to battle. The winners are Ebony and Nidoqueen!" The referee declared.

Nidoqueen roared, obviously excited from the victory, before firing off hyper beams into the sky. "Okay, that's my sign to put you back in the pokeball." Ebony muttered, glad that she was able to work with Nidoqueen, but was still embarrassed by how she acted. "Well, hopefully we can work off of this." She said hopefully to the pokeball.

As Ebony walked back to the waiting area, she was greeted by every one of her friends. "That was great!' Nate said, slapping her on the back.

"I didn't think you were going to pull it off." Nick began. "At first it seemed like Nidoqueen was going to do whatever it wanted and then out of nowhere she listened to you."

Zach then stepped forward, about to say something, only to be cut off by Heather walking in front of Ebony. "Hi." She said, a huge smile plastered across her face as she stretched her hand towards Zach. "My name's Heather."

"Hi, my name's Zach." He replied, shaking her hand. "So, Ebony," he said, walking around Heather and facing Ebony. "That was a great battle. You seem to be getting closer with Nidoqueen. There still seems to be a few problems, but I'm sure you can work them out." He finished, sounding impressed.

"Really, you think so?" She replied, happy that Zach wanted to talk with her before talking with Heather. "Well, I couldn't have done it without you helping me earlier. This victory belongs to you just as much as it does to me."

 _Something seems different. Zach never acts this way around people._ Nick thought to himself, watching the way Zach and Ebony were acting. _I just can't put my finger on it, but he treats Ebony differently than the rest of us._ He finished, oblivious to the close bond between the two trainers.

Just then, the screen down on the field flashed on, showing the matchups for the semi-finals. It showed Janine against a male trainer who wore a gray zipped up sweatshirt and Ebony against Michael. Elsewhere in the stadium, Koga and Aya watched the screen, interested in the matchups.

* * *

"So, brother," Aya started, staring down at the screen. "Out of the remaining four, which one do you think will win?" They both had been watching the matches and were quite impressed with how the four semi-finalists competed.

"As a father, I wish Janine could win." He started before getting a serious look on his face. "But as a gym leader, I believe Michael has the best chance. He is both cunning and aggressive when attacking. Not only that, he knows when to read his enemies. He also knows that at times he should tip his hand, reveal his attack early to lure his opponent into a false sense of security."

Aya nodded in agreement. Koga wasn't known as one of the strongest trainers in all of Kanto for nothing. "Well, you're never wrong. There isn't much sense in arguing with your judgement. But, is it right to prolong your decision?" Aya asked, changing the subject to recent matters.

"Like I've told you and the league before. I will not make my decision until after the league season." He replied turning around to face Aya. "I will not change the ownership of the gym during mid-season and that is final. I will carry out the rest of the year before thinking seriously about it." With that, he walked out of the room, hoping to see Janine before her match.

Aya sighed as the door shut behind Koga. _Brother, you do so much for everyone else. I know you want this, take the opportunity before it passes._ She thought before following after Koga.

* * *

"We will now be starting the first semi-final match. The first match is between Janine and Travis. If the two trainers could make their way to the field now, that would be appreciated." The announcer called out, ready to get the matches moving again. Both Janine and Travis made their way down to the field, tossing out their pokeballs

Janine was the first to toss out a pokeball, not showing any signs of nervousness. "Go, Venonat!" She yelled as the pokeball opened and revealed Venonat. The insect pokemon leaped into the air, filled with energy despite already battling today.

Travis on the other hand seemed a little nervous. _I never thought I would make it this far._ He thought to himself as he tossed a pokeball. _My pokemon have given it their all and so will I._ "Go, Gloom!" He yelled as his pokeball opened, revealing the grass and poison type. Gloom immediately yawned before sitting on the ground.

"Well, these two seem like complete opposites." Nick stated, shocked that Gloom was ready to take a nap during a battle. "Is this the only pokemon he has left?"

As Nick asked this, a new voice answered his question. "Do not be fooled by an opponent's looks. You need to look past their outside and see their insides to understand them. For all you know, this could be a trick set up by the trainer."

Everyone turned around to see who had spoken, only to be surprised to see Koga and Aya standing behind them. "Ko-Koga and Aya." Nick stuttered, shocked to see the two of them. "Why are you two down here? Shouldn't you be up in some private box seats?"

"We were, but the view is so much better from here." Koga replied with a straight face. Everyone wondered if Koga was telling the truth or just saying this to fool them.

"Are you sure?" Ebony questioned. "The view from the box seats let you see everything on the field. From here you can't see the whole field." She continued, Ebony wasn't buying Koga reasoning.

Koga could tell that they saw through his explanation and came forward with the real reason. "Okay, you caught me. The real reason is, despite trying to keep neutral in who I want to win, I came down to wish Janine good luck. She is my daughter after all, a part of me wishes that she wins the whole tournament."

Samurai stepped forward now, ready to tell Koga some new information about Janine. "I'm not being rude sir, but I think it was for the best that you missed her." He began explaining. "The truth is, at the beginning, she was very nervous about competing. She didn't want to lose and disappoint you, being that you are a poison type master and everything. But, she has calmed down a lot since then, judging by the battle now." He said, pointing out to the field where Venonat struck the lazy Gloom with a psybeam.

"I wish that wasn't the case." Koga said, a little bit of sadness in his voice. "I would never be disappointed in my daughter as long as she did her best. This news actually saddens me, to think, my daughter would ever think that I could be disappointed in her." He said, starting to walk away back to his private box.

"Way to go Samurai!" Ebony yelled at him, giving him a smack on the head. "Now he is disappointed in Janine. That isn't what we wanted to happen!"

Aya quickly intervened. "It's not what you think. Koga has a lot going on right now. He was coming to wish her luck..." She began before pausing. "And to share with her some exciting news."

"Well, what is this 'exciting news?'" Nick wondered, not caring that he was sounding rude.

"You're just as bad as Samurai!" Ebony yelled while hitting Nick.

"No, it's alright." Aya said. "The news isn't much of a secret, it has been going around the league for a few days now. The news is substantial and he wanted Janine's advice in the matter." She paused again, unsure if she should tell them about the news. She decided to tell them, they have already proved they are trustful enough to know. "What I'm about to say, you cannot repeat to anyone, understand?" She asked, receiving six nods from the trainers. "Alright, Koga has been asked by the league to accept a position as a member of the Johto Elite Four." She said, looking at everyone's shocked expressions. "The truth is, he is unsure of what to do. He doesn't know what would happen to the gym and has informed the league that a decision won't come until after this current league season."

"Wow!" Nick cried out, excited by the news. "To think, I beat a trainer worthy of being in the Elite Four." The news was starting to go to his head, something that everyone noticed.

"No, you didn't." Samurai pointed out. "Don't you remember? Janine explained how Koga's strongest pokemon are not used in gym matches so that the battles are fair."

"Ya, so you only beat a gym leader, not an Elite Four member." Ebony added. "There would be no way you lasted as long as you did before in the gym match if he used his best pokemon."

Nick sighed in defeat. He knew they were right and that arguing wouldn't help anything. "I guess I just got carried away and didn't think of it like that." He said before turning to the field. "Hey! The match is already over!" He called out in shock.

Nate was the only one not surprised. As everyone else was talking, he constantly turned back towards the field, watching the battle. "Ya that Gloom didn't last long. It didn't even put up a fight. After the first psybeam, it woke up and launched an acid attack, only for Venonat to use psybeam again, followed by a sludge bomb. Janine wasn't messing around, she didn't really give Gloom a chance at all."

"Well, if you say so." Nick replied, unsure of what Nate just said. "It feels like they just went out there not that long ago." He watched as Janine recalled Venonat into its pokeball and walked back to the waiting area.

"Well, that one was the easiest yet." She joked as she reached her friends. "It felt like Gloom wasn't really trying though." She then faced Ebony, about to speak to her when all of a sudden the announcer spoke.

"Alright! We'll now be starting our last semi-finals match! If Ebony and Michael could please approach the field so we could start, that would be appreciated!" The announcer cried out, to the reply of the crowd cheering.

"Well, I'm up again." Ebony said as she started to walk to the field. _I hope it goes as well as last time though._ She thought to herself while letting out a sigh. As she was walking, she could hear Janine yell something out.

"You better win!" She yelled out while smiling. "I expect to be facing you in the finals otherwise I'll be disappointed." Janine said, giving Ebony a hard time.

 _Okay, I only have to win two more matches. After that I can work with Nidoqueen more closely and for longer intervals._ Ebony thought as she reached the field. She then tossed her pokeball out onto the field. "Go, Nidoqueen!" The pokeball opened and Nidoqueen appeared from it, roaring out of excitement. "Ready to battle again, Nidoqueen? We only need two more wins and then we'll win the whole tournament." Ebony stated, hoping that Nidoqueen was now willing to work with her. Nidoqueen however showed no interest, instead staring down Michael, waiting for him to reveal his pokemon.

Michael showed no emotions whatsoever. He casually tossed his pokeball out, not wasting any time. The pokeball opened up, revealing a Nidoking. Upon seeing the Nidoqueen roaring, Nidoking roared even loader. The two pokemon were caught in a roar off, each pokemon trying to show the other that they were the stronger Nido.

"Folks, we have an old fashion roar off between the pokemon!" The announcer called out, trying to keep the crowd excited despite how boring the situation was becoming. "Look at how neither pokemon is backing down, both of them are trying to show off their strength.

Michael was growing impatient from his Nidoking's behavior. "Nidoking!" He yelled out, bringing the pokemon back to its senses. "Remember why we are here. We came to win the tournament, and we can't do it if you don't battle." He said, sounding a little irritated. Nidoking immediately stood attentively, waiting for the first command. "That's better, now use ice beam!" Nidoking opened its mouth and fired off the ice type attack, shooting the beam straight at Nidoqueen.

Ebony watched the attack come towards them, she knew they didn't really have any attacks that would be a good counter. "Nidoqueen, dodge the attack and then use ice punch!" Nidoqueen looked back at Ebony and slammed its tail against the ground, signaling for Ebony to stay out of the fight. Nidoqueen stood still, taking the attack head on. Ice started to form on its body, Nidoqueen then let out its loudest roar yet, literally breaking the ice with its yell.

Nidoqueen shook its legs around after freeing them from the ice. The drill pokemon then charged towards Nidoking, its fist starting to have ice form over it. Nidoqueen quickly stood in front of Nidoking, glaring down the pokemon. Nidoqueen swung its fist forward, only to be met with a fist to its gut. Feeling the pain, it fell over before slowly rising back up.

"Good job Nidoking. You didn't even need me to tell you to use sucker punch." Michael said calmly. Both Nidoking and Michael were in sync with each other. "Now, finish this with hyper beam." Nidoking started to charge up the attack from within its horn.

Nidoqueen saw what was going on and started to charge up its own hyper beam. Nidoqueen was the first to fire off its attack, only for Nidoking to retaliate immediately. The two hyper beams clashed against each other, turning into a beam struggle between the two pokemon. Unlike Nidoqueen, Nidoking was still fresh, having not been hit once. Thanks to his strength, Nidoking quickly overpowered Nidoqueen. The hyper beam overpowered Nidoqueen's hyper beam and enveloped the drill pokemon, causing an explosion.

Everyone waited for the dust to settle, wondering if Nidoqueen could still battle or not. Everyone gasped when they saw Nidoqueen still standing despite all the damage it took. Nidoqueen started to walk forward before collapsing into the ground.

"Nidoqueen is unable to battle. The winners are Michael and Nidoking!" The referee declared.

"Nidoqueen..." Ebony muttered, disappointed that Nidoqueen took a step back in their training. "Why didn't you listen to me? I could tell they were trying to bait you, but when I told you to dodge you were stubborn and took the attack head on." She said, recalling Nidoqueen into its pokeball. "We need more training." She said while letting out a sigh.

"Hey, lighten up Ebony." Nate said to the trainer. "You can't win every match, besides, you and Nidoqueen have started to work much better than you did before."

"I know, I just really wanted to win." She said, whining. Ebony then faced Janine and became extremely serious. "Janine, don't take him lightly. When I was battling him, despite Nidoqueen's strength it felt like we were miles apart when it came to our strength. Also, I got this strange feeling while battling him. I don't know what it is, but I don't trust him for some reason." She explained before Janine had to head towards the field.

"Don't worry about me." Janine told her friend. "I'll beat him in no time, then I'll battle my father." She said, running down to the field. _Just one final battle._ Janine thought, her heart racing a little. _Ebony said that he was stronger than we all thought. Maybe he was tricking us by using his weaker pokemon at the beginning. He's probably been studying all of our strategies as well._ She thought, grabbing a pokeball. _If that's the case, I'll confuse him._ Janine thought, tossing her pokeball. "Go, Grimer!" She yelled as the pokeball opened and revealed the sludge pokemon.

Michael likewise was still as calm as ever, not even having one drop of sweat on him. "Nidoking, let's end this quickly." He said, pointing to his pokemon. Nobody had noticed that Nidoking had never been recalled to its pokeball after the previous match. "Start off with ice beam!" Nidoking opened its mouth, firing off the familiar icy beam.

Janine thought quickly, she knew that Grimer's speed was bad. There would be no avoiding the attack by running, instead they needed a different escape route. "Grimer, use minimize and quickly!" Janine called out, if Grimer was too small to be seen, then Nidoking couldn't attack.

"Grimer, grim!" It said, before shrinking to a size so small that no one, not even Janine could see it. The ice beam flew right over the spot where Grimer stood seconds before and collided with the wall, causing it to freeze up.

"Alright! Great job Grimer!" Janine called out, trying to see any traces of her pokemon. "Now, use your mud-slap attack!" No noise was present to see if Grimer heard the command, but the flying dirt was a sign that it understood. Mud and dirt were being flung by Grimer in every direction, keeping its location hidden. Every time Nidoking tried to pinpoint the location, it was hit from a different spot.

Michael was now annoyed by the gimmick. "Nidoking, use earthquake!" Nidoking slammed his foot onto the ground, shaking the entire stadium. Due to the shaking, Grimer couldn't concentrate and started to grow in size until Nidoking could see it. "Perfect, ice beam!" Nidoking launched the attack at close range, only to be caught by a surprise.

"Grimer, use your flamethrower!" Janine called out. Grimer launched a beam of its own, only this one was made of fire. The two beams collided with the heat from the flamethrower melting the ice beam. "Come on, Grimer. Put everything into the attack!" Grimer's flamethrower grew in strength, overpowering the ice beam and hitting Nidoking in the face.

"That was great, Grimer is really giving Nidoking a hard time!" Samurai called out. He, along with everyone else were excited with how the match was going.

"Now, use poison jab!" Grimer reached forward with its arm, only to be grabbed by Nidoking.

"Do you really think it would be this easy, Nidoking use sucker punch!" Nidoking threw its free arm forward, ready to hit strike Grimer. Instead of hitting Grimer however, its arm was being restrained.

"And did you forget that Grimer has two arms!" Janine fired back. "Flamethrower, once more!" With both pokemon's arms locked by the other's, Grimer was able to launch a point blank flamethrower right into Nidoking's face.

Michael smirked upon seeing the situation. "You really think you have a chance? I will say this, I needed to try much harder against you than I did against your two friends. But, good times have to end. Nidoking, hyper beam!"

Nidoking charged up the attack before firing it from its horn. Being at this close of a distance, Grimer had no time to react and was covered in the hyper beam rather quickly. Once the attack ended, everyone saw that Grimer had fainted.

"Grimer is unable to battle. The winners are Michael and Nidoking." The referee declared. "That means that Michael will now face off against our very own Koga!"

A puff of smoke covered the field, cutting off all visibility. In seconds, the smoke was gone and now standing on the field was Koga. He looked ready for a battle, almost impressed by the trainer. "Congratulations on winning." He said, shaking Michael's hand. "Now, for your prize you can face against me and my strongest pokemon."

"Thank you. I'm ready if you are." Michael replied, showing the same calmness he did throughout the entire tournament.

"Very well. Let the battle begin." He said, reaching for a pokeball. "I choose, Crobat!" Koga yelled as the pokeball opened and revealed a purple bat with four wings.

"What is that?" Nick asked, having never seen one before. He quickly pulled out his pokedex, as did Ebony, Nate and Zach. "I wonder if the pokedexes can tell us anything about."

"There is no known data on this pokemon." The pokedexes replied. Instead of the usual picture of a pokemon, the screen was all black.

"So, the only thing we know now is that it isn't from Kanto." Zach said, putting his pokedex away. "I wonder where he got it from though?"

"Crobat?" Aya asked. She had scared everyone when she responded, having appeared from nowhere. "They are hard to find, but their pre-evolved forms are easier. Crobat is the final evolution of Zubat." She explained, keeping a serious face the entire time.

"No, you're making this up." Nick said, he wasn't buying it. He knew that Zubat only evolved into Golbat. "Now, what pokemon does it really evolve from?"

"I'm telling the truth." She replied back, growing a little annoyed with Nick. "Crobat are native to the Johto region which is west of the Indigo Plateau. They truly are the final evolution of the Zubat line. It is hard to evolve a Golbat into a Crobat and my brother is unsure how it even happened." She finished explaining.

"Well, when you put it that way." Nick said, starting to believe Aya's reasoning.

Likewise, Michael was amazed by the rare pokemon. _This is the legendary pokemon that Koga has. My mission is to take it with me back to my bosses._ He thought to himself as he tossed a pokeball. "Go, Venasaur!" He yelled as the final evolution of Bulbasaur appeared. "Start off with sweet scent!"

"Saurrr!" The giant grass type cried out, shaking the plant on its back. Everyone watched as a pink powder filled the air with a wonderful aroma.

Even Crobat was caught off guard by the attack, making it pay less attention to the battle. "Crobat, use your aerial ace attack!" Crobat flew through the air at a lightning fast speed. The bat pokemon disappeared before reappearing in front of Venasaur, striking the grass type directly.

Watching the battle made Nick remember a question he had for Nate. "Hey, Nate. I've been wondering, why haven't you evolved your Venasaur?"

"Hmm?" Nate replied, having not really payed attention. "Oh, Ivysaur, well for the way Ivysaur battles, if it became a Venasaur it wouldn't work out well." He said, not realizing how confusing he worded it. "Uh, let me try again. Venasaur is pretty slow and can't really dodge many attacks. Ivysaur likes to move around during battle, so if it evolved it would be too slow to battle comfortably."

"Oh, I get it now. It's all about your battle style, using pokemon that are agile to dodge but also strong to attack." Nick stated, understanding the logic behind Nate's statement.

"Venasaur, use vine whip to catch that flying nuisance." Michael demanded. Vines flew out of the plant on Venasaur's back and raced after Crobat. The bat pokemon managed to dodge the first few attempts, but around the fourth try he was captured by the pursuing vines. "Perfect, now use sleep powder!" He called out. Venasaur shook its plant once more, releasing green spores all over Crobat.

"Crobat, fight off the urge to sleep!" Koga called out, but it was pointless. Crobat's eyes grew heavy as they closed on the bat pokemon. Crobat was fast asleep, but what was most shocking was what Michael did next. "Hey, what do you think you're doing!" Koga yelled, seeing Michael and Venasaur placing Crobat into a brown sack.

"Well, I guess the jig is up." Michael said, tossing away his clothes. Underneath his original clothes was a black uniform that looked familiar. Across his black top was a large red R. He also had a jetpack strapped to his back. "I only entered this tournament for Team Rocket. I've been assigned to steal your rare pokemon and deliver it to my bosses." Michael explained before recalling Venasaur and starting his Jetpack.

Everyone watched as Michael flew away, making what looked like an escape. Then, they heard a voice call out from the stands. "Golem, use stone edge!" Jagged rocks flew into the air, cutting the sack containing Crobat open. The bat pokemon flew out of the opening, escaping from its kidnapper.

"Why you. I'll make sure to get you back for this!" Michael yelled, he didn't try and go back for Crobat, knowing that he would be outnumbered anyway.

As everyone watched Michael fly away, the man who saved Crobat ran down to the field. "Dang it, he got away!" The man yelled out. Nobody knew who he was because he was wearing a trench coat, sunglasses and a fedora to hide his identity.

"Now, who are you so I may thank you properly?" Koga asked, wanting to repay the man's kindness.

"I may seem like a stranger, but a few of you know me already. Now is not the place or time to talk. I would like to meet back up at your house later tonight if that is alright with you Koga."

"Of course, it is the least I can do for you." Koga replied, bowing to the man.

* * *

"So, who are you exactly?" Koga asked. They were all seated at his table now. Included in the conversation were Nick, Samurai, Janine, Ebony, Nate, Zach, Heather and Aya.

"Very well. Like I said, some of you know me from before. My name is Kevin." He said, taking off the trench coat and glasses, revealing the same trainer Nick lost to in Saffron. "My mission, is to track down Team Rocket and end them." He explained.

"What's Team Rocket?" Heather asked, confused by everything that has been happening lately.

 _Why is she here?_ Ebony thought to herself, annoyed by the female trainer's ignorance. "Team Rocket is a group of thieves who steal pokemon." She explained before turning to Kevin. "But I thought they were just those two fools, Cassidy and Buzz, or whatever his name was."

Kevin shook his head. "No, Team Rocket is a huge organization. They're located mostly in the Kanto region, but rumors are swirling about sub groups forming in other regions. I'm hunting them down on orders from Lance." Kevin explained. "I entered the tournament in Saffron to see if any grunts were trying to steal the pokemon in the tournament. After seeing no signs of Team Rocket, I left early. Since then, I've travelled Kanto, looking for any trails that will lead me to them." He stated, pausing for a few seconds to look at Koga. "I was then told about a tournament in Fuchsia, with the prize being a one-on-one against your rarest pokemon. I got here as soon as I could, watching the tournament. I was about to believe that no one showed, until what happened at the end." He then stood up and headed for the exit. "Thank you for the food, but I must be going. I need to follow in the direction of Michael."

After Kevin left, the group of nine sat there, digesting the information that was just dumped on them. "This Team Rocket, I must keep an eye out for them." Koga stated, rising up as well. "Janine, could you follow me as well." He asked,

"Yes Father." Janine said, standing and following him out of the room. The duo walked down a hallway until they were alone. "What is it, Father?"

"Janine, I have some news to tell you." Koga said. "It is important, but, I need to ask you something before that. Were you nervous of disappointing me during this tournament?" He asked her, he had been wondering ever since Samurai had told him.

Janine shifted nervously after the question was asked. "Well..." She began, starting to sweat. "I did at first, but after some reassurance from my friends, I stopped worrying."

"I see." Koga said, turning away from Janine. "I had believed that my daughter would not worry about disappointing me. I would never be disappointed in you as long as you gave it everything you had. What really disappoints me is that you would ever think that you could disappoint me." He explained, sadness in his voice.

"But father," Janine started. "I didn't want to ruin the family name. With you being a poison type master, it would be expected that I would win."

Koga understood what she was getting at. She was acting just like he did. Thinking of others before himself. "I understand. You didn't want anyone questioning our family if you lost. But, you shouldn't worry about me. I'm a grown man, I can take care of matters like this." He said, before changing the subject to what he really wanted to talk about. "Now, Janine, I recently received a letter from the League."

"What did they want?" Janine asked, interrupting her father. "Is it something important, is there a new gym?"

Koga laughed at her excitement. "No, nothing like that, it's much better." He explained, getting her attention. "The league has asked me to join the Johto Elite Four."

"That's wonderful. They truly see you as a poison type master." Janine said, interrupting her father again.

"Janine, listen to me." He said seriously. "I've already told them that my decision won't be made until following the league season. But, I've already decided." He said smirking. "I was undecided for a while, but our conversation right now helped make up my mind. I am taking the position starting next season. Aya has already agreed to take over the gym, telling me herself before I made my decision. The transition will be seamless, but I wanted to run it by you first." He said, finishing his explanation.

"Why would you need to run it by me first?" Janine said, unaware of what Koga was going to ask her.

"Well, I was going to see if you wanted to replace me as gym leader. But I decided that you should still travel, Aya will be the temporary leader until you see yourself fit to become the leader." He said, embracing Janine in a hug.

* * *

The next morning arrived and the group was off. Leaving Koga and Aya behind, the group of now seven headed back into town in silence.

Heather, being the only one who didn't really know anyone here except from their short time together from the tournament broke the silence. "So, Zach, I was heading to the safari zone and the place can be pretty scary so I was wondering if you could come with me." She asked, clinging onto his arm.

"Uh, sure why not." He replied, unaware of the glare Ebony had on her face. "I was heading there anyway."

Hearing about the safari zone reminded Nick about how he wanted to go himself. "Ah! I almost forgot. I was going to visit it as well before leaving." He yelled before sprinting off for the safari zone, leaving the others behind him.

"Nick, wait up!" Samurai and Janine yelled out before chasing after him, leaving Ebony, Zach, Nate and Heather behind.

"Sooooo, is he always like that?" Heather asked unsure if he was always running off or if this was a one time thing.

"You have no idea. If it interests him, he'll rush off to it. Otherwise, he takes his time." Ebony explained. She knew all too well about Nick's bursts of running off.

* * *

 **Team:**

 **Nick- 7 badges:**

 **Eevee- swift, quick attack, dig, shadow ball**

 **Kingler- water gun, crabhammer, stomp, mud shot**

 **Charizard- flamethrower, ember, dragon tail, brick break**

 **Gastly- night shade, venoshock, hypnosis, dark pulse**

 **Hitmonchan- mach punch, agility, comet punch, thunder punch**

 **At Oak's:**

 **Beedrill- poison sting, fury attack, twinneedle, hyper beam**

 **Shellder**

* * *

 **Samurai- league exam badge:**

 **Pinsir- x-scissor, bulldoze, harden, revenge**

 **Venonat- supersonic, poison fang, confusion, signal beam**

 **Parasect- energy ball, stun spore, fury cutter, slash**

 **Sandshrew- Rollout, mud-slap, dig**

 **At home:**

 **Butterfree- aerial ace, sleep powder**

* * *

 **Janine- league exam badge:**

 **Venonat- psybeam, foresight,**

 **Golbat- wing attack, hypnosis, venoshock, shadow ball**

 **Grimer- flamethrower, poison jab, minimize, mud-slap**

 **Vulpix- ember, flame charge, attract.**

* * *

 **Ebony- 8 Badges:**

 **Chameleon- fire spin, overheat, rock slide, protect**

 **Meowth- thunderbolt, fury swipes**

 **Magneton- electro ball, thunder wave**

 **Seel**

 **Nidoqueen- hyper beam, body slam, thunderbolt, ice punch**


	41. Search For The Mythical Pokemon Dratini

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Pokemon**

Nick was the first to reach the safari zone, followed by Samurai and Janine. After a few minutes, Zach, Ebony, Nate and Heather arrived. "So, this is the safari zone." Nick said, looking at the gate. He looked around for an entrance, giving up when it seemed like there wasn't any. "How exactly do we get?"

Samurai sighed before pointing to the sign hanging from the gate. "You need to call for an employee first." Samurai explained, walking up to the buzzer and pushing it.

The group stood there, waiting for an employee to show up. Eventually Kaiser pulled up to the front gate in his truck. "Welcome to the safari zone, the name's Kaiser." He said to the group, motioning them to get into his vehicle. He looked at the group as they all sat down and immediately noticed Samurai. "Samurai! Great to see you again. Are you trying your hand at catching more pokemon?"

"It's great to see you as well Kaiser." Samurai said, shaking hands with the warden. "It isn't me that's trying today. Instead it's my friends here who are trying." He explained while pointing to the rest of his group.

"I see." Kaiser said unemotionally. "Once we reach my office, I'll explain the rules of the safari zone." He said to the group of trainers. The rest of the ride was in silence, but luckily it was only for a few minutes. The truck pulled up to an average size building, upon entering they noticed that it was one large room with a desk in the middle. Off to the side were surveillance cameras. "Alright, before we start, how many of you plan on catching pokemon?" He asked, wanting to know how many buckets of safari balls he needed.

"Only three of them are, Kaiser." Samurai answered for the group. "Nick, Zach and Heather." He said, pointing to the three trainers.

Nick, thinking that this was it, started to head for the door. "Well, if he just needed our names I'll be heading out now." He started to say before Kaiser interrupted him.

"I am not finished here, boy! Now turn around!" Kaiser said, making sure to get his undivided attention. "This safari follows strict rules that I am going over. As the warden I take these rules seriously. Those who cannot follow the rules will be taken care of." He said, pulling his gun from its holster. "Do you understand?" He asked, pointing the gun at Nick.

Nick, who was scared by the gun, started waving his hands in front of his body. "I understand, I understand." He replied nervously before continuing. "I just thought that you only needed our names."

"As if." He replied, pointing the gun away. Kaiser then left to enter a side room in the building. In a few minutes he returned with three buckets of green pokeballs. "These are safari balls. They are specially created pokeballs used in the safari zone. Using them won't ruin the environment of the safari. Every trainer is given 30 safari balls." Kaiser explained, handing one bucket to each of the trainers. "Regular pokeballs are forbidden within the safari zone." He explained to everyone. "There are only two more things I need to explain. Absolutely and I mean absolutely no pokemon battles." He said, pulling out his gun again to get his point across. "Lastly, once you are finished, return to this office and sign out with me."

"Well, now that we know, let's get going." Nick said, walking out of the building.

"Wait!" Kaiser yelled, causing Nick to stop in his tracks. "I almost forgot to give you these." He said pulling out three remotes. "These are buzzers. You can contact me through them. Press the button on them if you notice something wrong with the safari and I'll come to your location. It is sort of like a gps. You may also use it if you become lost within the safari." He said, finishing his explanation. Seeing that everyone was still in his office he cleared his throat. "I'm finished, you may all leave now."

"I wonder what pokemon are in the safari." Janine wondered as she stared out into the open wilderness. "I've never been in here before."

"You live in Fuchsia, but never visited the safari zone?" Zach asked, shocked by the revelation. "I don't believe that, but many rare pokemon are here. They say that you can't find them anywhere else in Kanto." He then paused, building up excitement. "In fact, they say that the rare pokemon Dratini can be found within the safari zone."

Hearing that a Dratini could be found fascinated Nick. "Imagine if I found a Dratini and caught it." Nick said, amused by his own statement. _Dratini evolve all the way into Dragonite. That thing could be a beast._ Images of Nick battling with a Dragonite played in Nick's head.

"As if." Zach said, bursting Nick's fantasy. "Dratini are known to appear only before worthy trainers. Last I checked, you didn't fit under that category." He explained, still not seeing Nick as a good trainer, with the exception of how he trained Charizard.

Hearing this upset Nick. "I'll show you who a worthy trainer is! I'll catch a Dratini and raise it to be the best pokemon it can be!" Nick yelled, running off into the safari zone.

"What happened to his vow of 'not letting others get to him'?" Janine asked while Samurai, Nate and herself chased after him.

"Hey, he's working on it right?" Samurai asked, jokingly. "It could be worse. At least we know that Zach is the only one who can push his buttons for now."

Nate was right behind them, calling out to them. "Guys, shouldn't we wait up for the others!?"

"If we stop, we'll lose sight of Nick!" Samurai yelled from over his shoulder. "It's probably better if we aren't in a large group!" Unfortunately, Nick was too fast and the group lost sight of him. "Great, now what should we do." Samurai said, stomping his foot into the ground.

"Well... we... could... head back." Nate said between breaths, he was hunched over with his hands on his knees. "I've never seen Nick move that fast. I guarantee that we would never keep up with him."

"Ya, plus this place is too vast to look for him. We might as well wait back at the Warden's office." Janine said, to Nate's surprise she didn't seem to be tired at all. "Maybe Zach hasn't left yet, we can see the safari zone with him." She said, leading the group back towards the entrance.

They eventually made it back to the entrance only to see it deserted. "Hmm, I guess Zach already left." Nate said, stating the obvious. "I guess today is just for relaxing." He said, laying across the front steps to the office and stretching.

"So, Nate," Samurai began, walking over to the laid back trainer. "How's your journey going? Last time we saw you was way back in Saffron. Catch any new pokemon?"

Nate sat up and reached for his pokeballs. "I'll let them do the talking." He said, tossing six pokeballs into the air. Out of them appeared Ivysaur, Golduck, Marowak, Fearow, Slowpoke and a Mr. Mime.

"Cubone evolved." Samurai stated, running up to the evolved ground type. He was inspecting it when he noticed the Mr. Mime. "You also caught a Mr. Mime. Everyone seems to be doing quite well." He said, looking over each pokemon.

"Ya, well one of them has me worried. Slowpoke still seems to be kind of slow, even after all our training." Nate said, pointing towards the water and psychic type.

Janine was curious about the pokemon. "What do you mean by slow?" She asked, looking right at the pokemon. "Hey there, my name's Janine." She said, waiting for a reply.

Slowpoke just stared back, not showing any signs that it knew Janine was there. The two didn't move, Janine waiting for Slowpoke to reply and Slowpoke trying to comprehend what was happening. After a few minutes, it finally answered. "Slow... slowpoke."

Janine started to sweat a little out of shock. "I guess that's what you mean by 'slow'." She said, walking away from the water type. "So, what exactly have you tried doing?"

"Everything!" Nate yelled, throwing his arms up in the air due to frustration. It was the first time anyone had seen him somewhat upset. "I have tried everything and no matter what, it still takes Slowpoke minutes to respond to any commands. I asked Professor Oak to help, but even he was stumped." Nate explained, getting himself back under control. He then recalled his six pokemon back into their pokeballs before anything happened. "He had no answers as well, so he told me to visit a Professor Westwood. I guess he programmed the pokedex so he might have an answer."

"I see. Well, Slowpoke are known as the dopey pokemon." Janine said, trying to make the situation a little better. "If anyone could help, it must be this Professor Westwood." She paused for a minute before adding, "Maybe he can help us train Nick. It'll make him not run off every time he's excited." She finished, laughing at her statement.

* * *

Eventually Nick stopped running, having to catch his breath. "Man, this place is huge. Now, if I was a Dratini, where would I be?" He asked himself, looking through the grass. Seeing a tail sliding, Nick assumed it was a Dratini, not even noticing the color was different. "There it is, safari ball go!" Nick yelled, tossing the pokeball. The shook back and forth, looking like it would be a successful capture. Just as it looked like the pokemon was captured, it broke out of the ball and was revealed to actually be a Tauros.

The normal type let out a loud moo before chasing Nick across the plains. The bull pokemon caught up to Nick easily, ramming its horns into Nick. After striking Nick, Tauros continued running, trampling Nick before running out into the open plains.

"I guess I should slow down..." Nick muttered with his face in the ground. As he stood up, he realized that no one else was with him. "I wonder where everyone else is? Maybe the Tauros scared them away." He said, unaware that he had been alone the whole time.

* * *

Elsewhere in the safari, Zach, Heather and Ebony walked through the safari zone trying to locate pokemon. "Where are all the pokemon?!" Heather yelled, startling any nearby pokemon.

"Well, maybe if you lowered your voice, you wouldn't scare them all away!" Ebony yelled at the female trainer. The whole time they had been looking, Heather had been loud and practically scared away any pokemon that were near them. "It isn't like wild pokemon. They're frightened easily. You need to be quiet."

Heather was unaware of what Ebony was implying, and continued being loud. "I don't get it then! I am being quiet!" She yelled out. "So, Zach, are you looking for any specific pokemon?"

Zach shook his head to signal no. Before anyone could speak, he raised a finger to his lips, signaling for everyone to stay quiet before pointing to a bush. Everyone looked to the bush, noticing that it was shaking. Out of the bush walked a Kangaskhan.

"Okay, now or never." He whispered, walking over to the bush as quiet as he could. "Safari ball, go!' He yelled while tossing the pokeball. The safari ball was about to hit Kangaskhan, the pokemon unaware of the incoming safari ball. Unfortunately, it was alerted by a loud noise.

"Wow, look, Zach is going to catch a pokemon!" Heather cried out in excitement, accidently startling the pokemon. The Kangaskhan swatted the safari ball away before running off into the tall grass. "Ah, I really thought you had that one." She said, sounding upset about the pokemon getting away.

Zach was now getting upset. _Every time I have tried catching a pokemon, she keeps scaring them away._ He thought to himself as he tried to think of a way to get away from the two. "Hey, I thought I would catch it also. You know what? It will be better if we split up. I'll go this way, while you go that way." He explained while pointing in two different directions.

"But, if we go different ways, how will we know if any of us caught anything?" Heather asked, her eyes becoming watery.

"Well, we can meet up at the warden's office in a little. Alright?" He asked, trying to get away. He then turned to Ebony. "Since you aren't trying to catch anything, you can come in my direction." With that, the three person group broke up into two smaller groups.

"Okay, I'll catch some cool pokemon and show them to you, Zach!" She yelled while running off in a different direction. _I'll catch a bunch of pokemon and impress Zach. Then maybe he'll ask me to go to dinner with him._ She thought, smiling at a picture of her and Zach alone.

"Finally." Zach moaned, setting himself down onto the ground. "I thought I would go crazy. Every second her mouth was moving. I don't know how anyone puts up with her." He said, signaling for Ebony to sit down if she wanted to. She sat down, next to Zach and signaled for him to continue talking. "Honestly, I was so close to catching a Kangaskhan, but she had to open her mouth and startle it."

"Oh come on Zach." Ebony said jokingly, adding in a playful punch to his arm. "She isn't that bad, besides you did agree to come here with her." She continued on, playfully teasing Zach about his mistake to visit the safari zone with Heather.

Zach smiled at the joke. "Alright, I get it. This was my fault. If it wasn't for my mother teaching me to respect girls, I might have yelled at her." He said, laughing at how tenseful the situation was until they split up. His face then became serious. "The league is only a few months away. I need to start training seriously if I want any shot at winning. That includes a good training partner." He said, facing Ebony. "Come back to Pallet with me. Together we can train and become prepared for the league. You're the strongest trainer that I know, if we train and help each other overcome our weaknesses then no one could beat us." He said, jumping to his feet.

Ebony was unsure of how to answer. She would love to head back and train right now, but what about her other friends. How would it look if she just left and headed back to Pallet Town to train? "Can you give me a little to think it over?" She asked nicely, but she noticed the look of disappointment on Zach's face from her answer.

"I understand. It's a big decision to just make it on the spot." He said with a smile, but the tone of his voice included sadness. "I just thought you would rather focus on your own training instead of Nick's last gym badge." He explained, walking off into the safari.

 _Maybe I should head back. That way neither Nick or myself waste time._ She thought to herself as she followed Zach.

* * *

Elsewhere, Nick had finally recovered from his little adventure and was exploring again.

"Yep, I'm lost." Nick said while sitting down on a rock. After being chased by the Tauros, Nick stumbled around the safari zone. He had his sights set on finding a Dratini and wasn't going to stop until he found one. "Dratini may be a rare pokemon, but I should be able to find one eventually." He said, rising up off the rock. "Alright, brake's over."

Nick then continued his journey into the safari zone, stumbling upon a hidden location deep within the safari. It looked like a hidden oasis for the pokemon. The area was three quarters of the way surrounded by a wall of rock with only the entrance being opened. Inside, the whole area was filled with water, with water type pokemon swimming happily in the water.

"Wow, I never thought this would be in the safari. Hey, what's that?" He asked himself, noticing something swimming in the water. Just as Nick looked, the creature jumped out of the water revealing itself as a pokemon. "Ah ha, that's it!" Nick cried out, recognizing the pokemon as a Dratini.

The Dratini soared through the sky before landing back into the water. The dragon pokemon swam back under the water before resurfacing, looking distressed.

"Huh, what's wrong there, Dratini?" Nick asked as the Dratini jumped out of the water and started pushing Nick towards the water. "You want to show me something don't you?" Nick asked the dragon type.

Dratini nodded and then jumped into the water. Nick quickly removed his shirt and shoes before diving in after Dratini. The dragon pokemon brought Nick to the center of the lake before diving underneath the water. The trainer quickly followed Dratini and was shocked to see a Dragonair pinned under a boulder.

Nick swam up to the surface, knowing that there wasn't much he could do at the moment. "I better call Kaiser about this." Nick said, remembering what the warden said about the device he gave them. Nick pulled out device and pressed the button to alert Kaiser. Within minutes, Kaiser was driving into the oasis.

"What's going on out here?" He asked, jumping out of his truck. Before Nick could answer, he was already asking more questions. "How did you get here, this area is off limits to the public!" He yelled, pulling out his gun.

Nick quickly raised his hands, trying to diffuse the situation. "Easy there. I stumbled in here after being chased by an angry Tauros. I had no idea this was off limits." Nick explained, he then noticed Kaiser lower the gun so he continued. "While walking around, a Dratini appeared and told me to follow it. The pokemon brought me to the bottom of the lake where a Dragonair is pinned under a boulder."

"What!" Kaiser yelled, trying to jump into the water. "Dragonair, I'm coming buddy!" He yelled while jumping in. Kaiser swam under the water, only to reappear moments later, gasping for air. "That thing is heavy." He said while coughing. "But, we need to free Dragonair!"

As Kaiser tried to go back under, Nick called back out to him. "Kaiser, wait! I have a plan, but I need your permission!" Nick said, placing his hands together. "I know we have had our share of misunderstandings, but we need to work together. I know it's against the rules, but let me use my pokemon to free Dragonair."

Kaiser looked at Nick, pondering the idea. "What pokemon are they?" He asked, wanting to be sure Nick wasn't a poacher.

"A Kingler and Hitmonchan." Nick said, raising the pokeballs.

"Alright, just this one time." He replied, climbing out of the water. "Now, what is this plan you have?"

"Well, first the two pokemon swim down and try and lift the rock. While they do that, we'll carry Dragonair to somewhere safe where you can then take care of it." Nick explained while getting his two pokemon out of their pokeballs.

"Fine, let's try that." Kaiser said, getting ready to dive in the water.

"Okay, Hitmonchan, Kingler there's a large boulder trapping a pokemon down there." Nick told them, pointing to the bottom of the lake. "Now, I need you two to try and lift the boulder so we can free it, okay." He said, receiving nods of approval from both of them. "Alright, let's go." He said, jumping into the water.

Nick, Kaiser, Kingler and Hitmonchan dove down to Dragonair's location. The dragon pokemon seemed to be in worse pain than before and the group knew that they had to hurry. Kingler and Hitmonchan went over to the boulder and tried to lift it, but the rock was too heavy for them.

 _I don't have any other pokemon that can really help._ Nick thought to himself. He was brought out of his thoughts by the cry of a pokemon. Nick looked over and saw Dragonair calling out to the pokemon in the lake, asking for their assistance.

To Nick's amazement, the water type pokemon swam over to the group, helping Nick's pokemon lift the boulder. The large group of pokemon managed to lift the rock just enough to squeeze Dragonair out from underneath it. With the opportunity given to them, Nick and Kaiser brought Dragonair up to the surface and laid it out.

"Okay, give me space." Kaiser said, pulling medicine out of his truck. The warden quickly went to work, helping Dragonair get better. "I know, it hurts, but I need to do this to help you." He said, calming the dragon pokemon.

To Nick's amazement, all of the pokemon before were surrounding them in a circle, watching to make sure Dragonair was alright. Even the pokemon in Nick's pokeballs released themselves, wanting to make sure the dragon pokemon would be alright.

After a few minutes, Kaiser stood up. "Dragonair will be alright everyone. It will just be slower swimming for a while." He said, lifting the dragon type. "Okay, be careful now, buddy." He said, placing it in the water.

Kaiser watched as Dragonair swam under the water, disappearing from view. As he watched, Dragonair jumped out of the water. The majestic scene concluded with Dragonair entering the water head first. Nick, watching the scene unfold, had a question pop into his head.

"Kaiser," Nick started out, not sure how to begin. "It seemed like you knew that Dragonair really well. Have you ever seen that Dragonair before?" He may be dense at times, but even Nick could tell that there was a previous relationship between Kaiser and Dragonair.

The old warden sighed, he knew there was no way to get around it. "Yes." He said, staring out towards the lake. "When I was younger, that Dragonair once saved me. Of course, it was a Dratini then. After being rescued, I took a picture with the pokemon." He said, smiling. The smile left as quickly as it appeared, being replaced with a frown. "Unfortunately, nothing good can be kept alone. News of a Dratini at the safari zone spread throughout Kanto. Business was booming, but the trainers didn't follow the rules, destroying the environment because of their desire to find the Dratini. Eventually everyone gave up. Since then I've become stricter with the rules, as you may know." He said, jokingly grabbing his gun. "I searched for Dratini so I could thank it, but I never met it again. That is, until a while ago, a boy from Pallet Town encountered it when a group of thieves tried to steal it. During his attempt to save the pokemon, he was knocked unconscious and Dragonair saved him." Kaiser stopped to catch his breath, a smile returning to his face. "You wouldn't believe the look on my face, seeing my friend evolved and started a family. In fact, that Dratini is one of its two kids. Since then, I've visited this area many times, but not seen Dragonair or the Dratini." He explained, pointing to the dragon pokemon sitting next to the duo.

"Really? Why is it still sitting around here, shouldn't it be heading off with its mother?" Nick asked, not putting two and two together. "I thought Dratini are usually shy towards humans and only approach ones they see as 'worthy'."

Kaiser laughed at the child. "You know what? You remind me a lot about my younger self." Kaiser stood up, extending his hand to Nick. The trainer took it, using it to help himself up. "Listen, boy, that Dratini seems to like you. Probably because you saved its mother. It isn't afraid of someone who helped it, it's the same situation between Dragonair and myself, I just wish it would show itself more." He said, looking out to the lake again.

"Wait, are you saying..." Nick said, trailing off at the end. He was finally putting everything together. "That Dratini sees me as worthy and wants to be my pokemon?" It sounded like a question, but was more of a statement. Nick looked up, seeing Kaiser nodding in approval. A smile crossed Nick's face as he grabbed a safari ball. He softly tossed the ball into the air, waiting for Dratini to go into it.

The dragon pokemon jumped into the air, heading straight for the safari ball. Dratini hit the ball with the tip of its tail, letting out a cry of excitement as it was pulled into the safari ball. Nick and Kaiser watched as the ball didn't even rock, just immediately signaling that the pokemon was caught.

Nick bent over and picked up the safari ball. "Is there any way to transfer it over to a normal pokeball?" He asked, showing Kaiser an empty pokeball.

"Ya, we can do the process back at my building." He said, climbing into his truck. "If you're finished, I can give you a lift back there." Kaiser waited as Nick climbed up into the truck. The duo drove back to the building in silence, the trip only taking a few minutes. Upon arriving, they were surprised to see everyone else already waiting. "Why are you all just sitting around here, shouldn't you all be trying to catch pokemon?"

"We would be, if it wasn't for the fact that we're finished here." Zach said, getting up off the first steps to the building. He didn't seem to be in the best of moods, mainly because of Heather annoying most of the day.

"Plus," Samurai began, standing up as well. "We were left behind by someone who was in a rush to catch pokemon." He said, looking directly at Nick.

"Yeah, about that..." Nick replied, rubbing his neck due to his embarrassment. "You know how much I wanted to catch pokemon. You can't hold that against me, besides you should have kept up with me."

Samurai was about to argue back, but decided that it wasn't worth the headache. "Let's just check out of here and get going. Last time I checked, you still need one more badge" He stated, walking into the warden's office.

"Alright, just sign next to your name." Kaiser said, passing the paper around. When it reached Nick, he pulled it away before the trainer could sign it. "You can't sign it yet." Kaiser pulled out an older looking device. It looked like an old model of a trading machine. "Put the safari ball on one end and your empty pokeball on the other end. Once I press the button, the pokemon will be transferred to the empty pokeball."

Nick did as he was told, placing the two pokeballs on their designated spots. Once everything was ready Kaiser pushed a button, causing the machine to turn on. It was rather loud due to its old age, making a loud hissing sound as the transfer was being completed. Upon completion, Nick grabbed his pokeball and handed over the empty safari balls to Kaiser.

Nick signed his name off on the sheet, showing that he checked out of the safari zone. Before leaving, the young trainer turned around and faced the warden one last time. "Thank you for your help today. I promise you, I will take exceptional care of this pokemon." He said, raising the pokeball that contained Dratini in it. Nick then hurried out the door and left the safari zone.

Once outside, the group stood around. They were all unsure of what to do next. Finally, Nate was the first to speak. "I don't know what everyone else is doing, but Professor Oak recommended that I visit the seafoam islands during my training, that way, I can visit Professor Westwood. He said that Woodward could help me understand more about Slowpoke." He said, raising a pokeball.

Zach was the first to respond. "I'm heading straight for Pallet Town. Once there it's a strong training regimen. I need to get ready for the league." Zach started to walk away, only to be stopped by Ebony.

"Zach!" She called out, getting the young trainer to stop. "I'm heading back to Pallet with you. I need to train as well and I think it would be beneficial to us both to have a training partner." She explained, before turning to Nick, Samurai and Janine. "It's great traveling with you three, but I can't properly train with us always on the move for Nick's next badge. It isn't anything you three did, just something I need to do."

Nick didn't seem fazed at all. "I understand. I probably would do the same thing if the situations were reversed." In fact, Nick was a little excited. Now Ebony wouldn't be there to intimidate him or threaten to beat him up. "I've got one badge left, then I can focus on the league." He said, forming his hands into fists.

"Well, I'm leaving before anything else stops me." Zach said, walking off into the distance with Ebony behind him. The two could hear Heather yelling out to Zach, but they ignored her. "Just don't respond, play it off like we can't hear her." He said to Ebony, who laughed at his answer to Heather.

"Well, I guess we split again, don't you agree?" Nate said, extending his hand to Nick.

"Yea." Nick said, meeting Nate's hand halfway. "Next time we meet, I'll have all eight badges and then we can compete against each other at the league."

"I wouldn't have it any other way." Nate replied, staring down Nick. Even though you wouldn't consider them serious rivals, the two had a friendly one going on. "Just remember." He began, pulling his hand back and giving himself a thumbs up. "That when we face each other, I'll be the winner." With that, Nate was off for the closest ferry to the Seafoam islands.

"Nick, I think we should head to the Pokemon Center and figure out what gym you should challenge." Janine said, seeing that they were the only ones left. After Zach had left, Heather disappeared without anyone noticing. "There aren't too many gyms left and we need to figure which one you have the best chance of winning at." She explained, walking down the road to Fuchsia City with Nick and Samurai behind her.

* * *

After a few minutes, the group entered the Pokemon Center wondering what they should do next. "Before we plan anything, I need to talk to Professor Oak." Nick told his friends as he got up and walked over to the phone. Nick put in the number for Oak's lab and waited until the Professor answered.

"Ah, hello Nick. I haven't heard from you in a long time." The Professor said, greeting the young trainer. "Of what assistance could I be of today?"

"Well, just recently I met a pokemon I've never seen before." Nick began, pulling out his pokedex to use as a prop. "I decided to scan it on the pokedex, but all that showed up was a black screen and the pokedex saying 'no data available'." Nick explained to the Professor.

"Hmmm." Oak said to himself, deep in his thoughts. "Could you tell me a little bit about the pokemon? Like where it is from and what evolution line it is a part of."

"It's my father's Crobat." Janine blurted out. "They're common in Johto, but are a part of the Zubat evolutionary line." She explained.

"Okay, I understand now." The Professor said, crossing his arms in front of his body. "The problem is quite simple. You see, all pokedex data in Kanto is written by Professor Westwood. The man doesn't get out much so he doesn't update his newer modules. Because of this, myself and the other regions' professors are handling the programming of pokedexes from now on." The Professor explained, followed by him pointing at something. "If you place your pokedex in the slot below, I can upgrade it with data on a few pokemon not native to Kanto. I received this from a few friends of mine during my last conference." He explained to the group.

"Okay." Nick replied, almost hesitantly. He decided it was for the best however if he did what Professor Oak asked and placed the pokedex into the slot. Within a minute, Nick's pokedex ejected from the slot, seeming like nothing happened. "It's all finished Professor."

"Alright. Your pokedex now contains some information on over 50 kinds of pokemon not native to the Kanto region. Hopefully you can use it to your advantage." Professor Oak said, as a ringing sound could be heard in the background. "Oh, it seems I have another caller. Please excuse me, but I need to answer this." He said, hanging up the line.

As the screen turned black, Nick turned around and noticed a look in Samurai's eyes. Nervous, Nick decided to ask what was up. "Hey, Samurai, what's going on?" Nick asked, letting out a nervous chuckle. Sometimes he had no idea on what went through Samurai's head.

Samurai just stared at Nick. "Oh nothing, I just want to know what pokemon you caught at the safari zone." He said, his voice full of curiosity.

Nick let out a sigh of relief. "That's it. I thought you had some crazy idea to go do something." Nick said as he raised the pokeball. "Come on out." He said as the pokeball opened and revealed Dratini. The dragon pokemon yawned as it curled into a ball, sleeping in Nick's arms.

"You mean, you actually found one!" Samurai yelled, unable to believe what he was seeing. "How did you actually catch it?"

"Shhhh." Nick said, pointing out the fact that Dratini was sleeping. "It found me. You see, a pokemon was injured and needed help, so Dratini saw me and asked for help. After, it wanted to come along with me." Nick whispered, making sure not to wake up the slumbering pokemon.

"This is pretty exciting." Janine said, pushing Samurai out of the way so she could get a better view of Dratini. "But, we still need to figure out where we're heading next." She said, pulling out Samurai's maps. "If I had to choose, I think sailing to Cinnabar Island is our best choice. It's the closest town with a gym, plus we can then catch a ferry to Pallet Town after." She said, showing the route they could travel. "The only problem is all of the way we need to walk. The harbor is about a week away at best, followed by a four day voyage at sea." She told everyone.

"Well, time doesn't matter. I can use it as a way to train my pokemon." Nick said, slowly standing up with Dratini still in his arms. "I better return Dratini to its pokeball before people start showing up." Nick said while recalling Dratini to its pokeball. "So, it's settled. We leave for Cinnabar Island in the next hour." He said, before his stomach growled. "Or whenever we finish breakfast." He said, his face red with embarrassment.

The group decided to have breakfast before deciding on a route to take towards Cinnabar Island. "So the only way to get to Cinnabar Island is by traveling through the Seafoam Islands." Nick said, tossing Samurai's maps out of his hands. "If I knew that, we could have followed Nate to the ferry." He then slouched in his chair, disappointed by the revelation.

"I thought you said time doesn't matter?" Samurai asked, wondering what was with the change in Nick's attitude.

"Time doesn't matter." Nick said, getting out of his chair. "It's just, the sooner I finish collecting badges, the sooner I can focus on training for the league."

As the two were talking, a group of trainers entered the Pokemon Center. They seemed excited about something happening in town, so Nick and Samurai tried listening in on their conversation.

"Are you sure that she really is in town?" One of the trainers asked.

"Of course, there is no mistaking a professional breeder." The second one replied. "We need to visit her. It isn't every day that a breeder like Suzy comes to town."

"Breeder?" Nick said, knowing that he had heard that word someone before. "Now where did I hear that word?"

"Hey, what's with the commotion?" Janine asked while walking back to the group after calling her father. "I haven't seen this place this busy in forever."

"Some breeder named Suzy is in town." Samurai explained, just like Nick, he was trying to figure out where he had heard about breeders. "I don't see what the big deal is."

"You said Suzy!?" Janine questioned, not sure to believe the two boys. "She is only one of the most famous breeders ever. Her techniques are revolutionary and many breeders have asked to become her pupils."

"How would you know all this?" Nick asked, suspicious of all this information. "Since when have you shown an interest in breeding? Also, what even is a breeder?" Nick was getting annoyed by the fact that he still had no clue for what was happening.

"Well, we spend so much time in Centers that I pick up information here and there." She explained, scratching the back of her neck. "So many people spread news through here. But, I think it could be a good experience if we met her."

Nick was now losing his patience, no one was telling him what a breeder did. "That's great and all, but what is a breeder!"

Janine rubbed her neck again, this time out of nervousness. "Well, a breeder is someone who raises pokemon to become extremely healthy. Some raise them for battling while others do it to become friends with their pokemon. You know, it's just like your family. They all raise pokemon as well."

"No!" Nick yelled, ready to argue. His family didn't raise pokemon like the picture that was being painted in his mind. They were professional about it. "They raise pokemon for other trainers, not to show them off."

"Okay, I get it. They are not related at all. But I still think we should visit this Suzy."

"Fine, whatever." Nick said stubbornly.

* * *

The group left the Center and walked around the town, looking for where Suzy was stationed for the day. Eventually the group found a building which looked to be housing something. When they entered, they were greeted by a woman with long teal hair that went past her shoulders. She was dressed in a white salonist's outfit.

"Hello there." She answered cheerfully, giving the three trainers a welcoming smile. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Well, we came over here because we heard that the famous breeder Suzy was nearby." Janine explained to the female. "But, it seems like she may have left already."

The woman couldn't help but laugh at the last comment. "Oh, no you're mistaken. I'm still in town." She said, shocking the three trainers. "Now, how can I be of service?" Suzy asked, walking over to the trainers.

"Well, I heard that you help teach trainers how to strengthen their bonds with their pokemon." Janine said while walking towards Suzy. "I was wondering if you could show us some of these tips?"

"Of course, it would be my honor to show aspiring trainers some tips. Now, who is going to use a pokemon?" Suzy asked, looking at the three trainers before her.

 _There is no way any of my pokemon are going through this._ Samurai thought as he looked back and forth between Nick and Janine. _However..._ He thought, getting a sly grin on his face. "Nick did just catch a new pokemon. I think it could be good for him to bond with it."

Nick immediately glared in Samurai's direction, he knew what Samurai was up to. "Oh no, I'm good." Nick said, trying to be polite. "I've seen pictures of how people dress up their pokemon and there is no way I'll ever do that."

"Oh, but you have the wrong idea." Suzy told him while pulling a table out. "I don't care about the outside. A pokemon's true beauty comes from the inside. A bond is created when both the trainer and pokemon care for each other. A responsible trainer makes sure to check all of their pokemon. Now, may I see the pokemon?" She asked, placing her hand out.

"Alright, but if you dress it up at all I'm leaving." Nick said, handing over Dratini's pokeball. "I just caught this one today, please be gentle with it."

Suzy smiled at the request. She could already see that these kids cared deeply for their pokemon. "You don't need to worry. I'll be extra careful." She said while opening the pokeball. Dratini appeared out of the pokeball and the dragon pokemon stretched out across the table, letting out a light yawn. Seeing everyone around it, Dratini laid back down on the table, not really caring about the commotion. "I've never seen a Dratini in person before, but I'll do my best." Suzy said, starting to massage Dratini's body.

Dratini let out a cheerful sound, showing that it enjoyed the massage. "You like that Dratini?" Nick asked, to him the whole thing seemed painful.

"From the books I've read, Dratini are really majestic. Being known as such, they must really enjoy cleanliness. I'd try and brush its skin every day and massage it after battles." Suzy explained, stopping the massage and grabbing a brush. She then started brushing Dratini, causing the dragon pokemon to cry out softly. "See, it really enjoys the treatment. I'd like you to try now." Suzy said, handing the brush over to Nick.

"Ok..." He said, unsure of what to do. He grabbed the brush and started to run it across Dratini's skin. The dragon pokemon started to cry out in joy once again, showing just how much it enjoyed the massage and brushing. "I see, Dratini you really enjoy this don't you?" He asked, receiving an affirming head shake. "Alright, I'll do this every day for you then." He then turned to Suzy, wanting to know some things. "So, how long do I brush Dratini for, is there a specific amount of time or is it as much as I want. Also, is it fine if I feed it specially made food instead of the Pokemart brand? I don't believe Dratini would receive as much nutrients if I don't give it my family's recipe."

Suzy stared on in disbelief, trying to comprehend all of Nick's questions. "It really doesn't matter, as much as you like. On the food however, it should be at your discretion what Dratini eats. If you think it isn't getting the proper nutrients, change its diet."

Samurai and Janine watched on in amazement, unsure of how Nick's attitude changed so quickly about breeders. "So, what exactly happened?" Janine asked, having no answer to the scene before her.

"Well," Samurai began, having somewhat of an idea. "Nick realized that not every breeder dressed pokemon up in ridiculous costumes and actually cared about the pokemon. Once that happened, his thick headedness disappeared. I have to admit, I was worried that she would dress our pokemon up as well. That's why I volunteered Nick." He said, letting out a nervous laugh.

"What do you mean by 'dress their pokemon up'? I've never heard of one breeder that does it. It just seems wrong." Janine said before pausing after hearing Samurai's last comment. "You're telling me you volunteered him just so he could be your test subject!" She yelled before slapping him over the back of his head. "Now, explain about these pokemon dressed up." She demanded, scaring Samurai a little he had never seen this side of Janine.

Samurai pulled a picture out of his backpack, his had shaking as he brought it towards Janine. "Nick and myself saw this back at the Pokemon Center. I think it gave him a bad impression of breeders."

Janine grabbed the picture and looked at it. In it, an Ekans was dressed up and looked like a mix between a clown and a Christmas tree. Next to it was a Koffing that looked even worse. Janine couldn't help but laugh at the picture. "I don't know who in their right mind would go see this breeder, they did a horrible job. I feel sorry for the pokemon that were put through it."

"Now you see why Nick was so hesitant. He thought every breeder was like that. It also explains why he was so quick to jump down your throat at the thought of breeders and his family doing nearly the same thing."

"I guess so."

Janine and Samurai's conversation was broken up by Suzy, who had finished packing up her belongings. "I hate to leave so soon, but I must be going. There are so many things I still need to learn and to do so, I need to continue traveling at my current pace. I need to visit as many places as I can, learn about what techniques work best on each kind of pokemon. Thank you for stopping by, it was a pleasure meeting you all." Suzy said, heading for the front door.

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry for taking a while with this update, I have just been busy with school and I am now starting a new job as well. I have recently placed a poll on my account page about my updating schedule. I would really like it if you could all please vote on it. It won't only affect me, but all of you as well. Also, sorry about the second half of this chapter. It might feel rushed and it is because I really wanted to get it out to everyone. Finally, before people say that Nick is going to be overpowered at the league I'm going to just say not everything will go according to his plans. Besides that, I think this is the shortest chapter I've written in a while.**

 **Team:**

 **Nick- 7 badges:**

 **Eevee- swift, quick attack, dig, shadow ball**

 **Kingler- water gun, crabhammer, stomp, mud shot**

 **Charizard- flamethrower, ember, dragon tail, brick break**

 **Gastly- night shade, venoshock, hypnosis, dark pulse**

 **Hitmonchan- mach punch, agility, comet punch, thunder punch**

 **Dratini**

 **At Oak's:**

 **Beedrill- poison sting, fury attack, twinneedle, hyper beam**

 **Shellder**

* * *

 **Samurai- league exam badge:**

 **Pinsir- x-scissor, bulldoze, harden, revenge**

 **Venonat- supersonic, poison fang, confusion, signal beam**

 **Parasect- energy ball, stun spore, fury cutter, slash**

 **Sandshrew- Rollout, mud-slap, dig**

 **At home:**

 **Butterfree- aerial ace, sleep powder**

* * *

 **Janine- league exam badge:**

 **Venonat- psybeam, foresight,**

 **Golbat- wing attack, hypnosis, venoshock, shadow ball**

 **Grimer- flamethrower, poison jab, minimize, mud-slap**

 **Vulpix- ember, flame charge, attract.**


	42. Tag Battle Troubles

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Pokemon.**

 **A/N: Not too many people have participated in the poll. Please, vote so that you all get a say in how this story is updated. Right now School and Work take up about 45 hours of my week, not including homework. The poll will stay open until mid-November so please vote.**

* * *

"Nick, you really shouldn't spoil Dratini." Samurai said, pointing to how Nick was brushing Dratini for the third time that day. Ever since Suzy told Nick to brush Dratini, he had been doing it quite often. It had only been three days since they met her, but Nick had brushed Dratini over a dozen times.

"I'm not spoiling anyone." He retorted back before turning away from his friend. "Besides, Dratini has been training hard since we left Fuchsia City. It deserves these cleanings and you heard Suzy herself, this helps strengthen our bond." Nick said, continuing to brush the dragon pokemon. "If you wanted to be close to your pokemon, you'd be doing the same as me."

This set Samurai off, no one insulted him or his pokemon. "What would you know? My pokemon and I share a close bond that can't be broken. Pinsir and myself have been through so much since we first met." Samurai replied back, ready to go to war. He reached for a pokeball and lifted it before Nick. "Why don't we settle it with a battle? A real one, not our practice matches. It'll be a three-on-three."

Nick got a look of determination on his face. "Fine by me, but don't complain when we win." He reached for a pokeball, tossing it out in front of his body. "Eevee, I choose you!" Eevee appeared in front of Nick, ready to battle. This was Eevee's first battle since he defeated Lt. Surge in Vermilion City.

Samurai was already tossing his pokeball, not waiting for any remarks from Nick. "Pinsir, stand by me in battle!" The bug type appeared in front of Samurai, ready to defend its trainer's honor. "Pinsir, use bulldoze!"

Pinsir started to stomp on the ground, causing it to shake and make Eevee lose its balance. The bug type then charged straight towards the normal type, trying to ram right into it. Eevee however had a different idea as it managed to drop underneath Pinsir and dodge the attack.

"Great!" Nick called out, glad to see that Eevee wasn't rusty despite not battling for a while. "Counter with quick attack!"

Eevee shot off with a trail of white light following behind him. Pinsir likewise was now charging at the normal type as well. Both pokemon were ready to strike when a yellow powder covered both of their bodies, making them unable to move.

"What just happened?" Both Nick and Samurai asked, the only other person in these woods was Janine, but she was watching the battle from the campsite. "Whoever is out there, show yourself!" Samurai demanded, but no one appeared.

Despite the tenseful situation, Janine appeared calm and unfazed by the hidden attacker. The young ninja took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She was listening for movements in the area, a broken twig, running against the wind, branches shaking. Anything that she could use to pinpoint a location. She eventually found it when she heard leaves being stepped on. Janine turned around and tossed a pokeball. "Venonat, use disable on whatever is hiding in those bushes!" She yelled, pointing to a few bushes in front of her.

Venonat's eyes glowed blue before fading back to normal. Everyone heard a thud as something crashed into the ground. The group walked over to the bush, only to find Samurai's brother Endo unable to move.

"Endo!" Samurai called out, unsure why his brother wouldn't be at his gym. "What are you doing all the way near Fuchsia and why in the world are you attacking us!" He demanded, it was one thing to be attacked, but by his own brother was something else.

Endo couldn't move his body, but was still able to talk. "Samurai, keep it down. They could be around here." He said, trying to keep his voice down.

This caught the bug trainer's interest. "Who are 'they'?" He asked, wanting to know what was going on.

"They are known as the exterminators." Endo said before realizing that he could move again. He sat up into a comfortable position before continuing. "They're a group of trainers whose only goal are to defeat any trainer who use pokemon they describe as pests. These include bug types. The members are extremely strong and I don't want them attacking you. A pair of brothers came to the gym a few weeks ago looking for a battle. Despite doing my best, I was no match for them.

* * *

 _Flashback_

"Welcome to the Clear Village Gym." Endo said, welcoming two trainers into his gym. The two trainers were dressed exactly the same, orange jumpsuits and a mask covering their faces. On their backs were tanks that were filled with some type of substance. "Now, who will be challenging me today?"

The two looked at each other before deciding. Since they both looked the same, Endo had no clue who they actually were. The man on his left stepped forward, signaling that he would battle.

"I should warn you, I'm not someone you should take lightly." Endo told them as he led them to the battlefield.

"Oh, I know." The man said in a calm voice, showing no signs of worry. "But, I'm not someone you should take lightly either." He said, a sly grin on his face.

* * *

"So, how bad was it?" Samurai asked his brother.

"I barely lasted 30 seconds. They've trained their pokemon to counter all of my techniques. After losing, they took control of the gym from me and said that I must bring them another bug type specialist to battle them for the gym." He said, pointing to Samurai. "That someone is you. I need you to battle for the gym."

Samurai was taken back by the request. "But, if they could beat you how could I put up a fight?"

"It doesn't need to happen now." Endo reassured him. "Nick's heading for the Indigo Plateau, while you head there cut through Clear Village. Until then I'll travel with you, training you in secret from them." Seeing Samurai's uncertainty, Endo continued. "Please, you're the only one left that can battle for the gym."

Samurai knew he didn't have a choice, he had to battle for the gym. "Yeah, I'll do it." He said, raising his fists in front of his body. "I'll train hard and make these people regret ever taking your gym."

"Well, this is great and all, but we still need to continue on towards Cinnabar Island!" Nick said, ending the conversation.

Endo then stood up and apologized for his earlier actions before heading over to the group's campsite. "From reading my maps, there is only one major town until Cinnabar Island. We should stop there to resupply and then head for the docks south of there."

"Well, where is this town?" Nick asked, hoping that these maps were at least up to date.

"It isn't too far, maybe an hour or so from here. It's named Dark City. It recently was in the middle of some controversy with the Pokemon League because of how their gym, or rather gyms were being run."

"Gyms?" Janine asked, she knew about every approved gym for the league season, but couldn't remember any from Dark City. "I never heard of one gym from there, let alone two. When did they get approved?"

Endo sighed at the question. "That's exactly it. They never were approved because they opened the gyms just to make money. Since then, both gyms were shut down and the two leaders are trying to get one single gym opened with them both as leaders."

"Two leaders for one gym." Nick muttered. "It's kind of like the Cerulean Gym, they had three leaders. It might make good training for me if I challenged them. Dratini hasn't had an official battle yet, only practice matches with Samurai and Janine."

"Well, it's settled. We're heading to Dark City." Endo declared as he put his maps away. He then led the group in the direction of the town

* * *

"This is Dark City?" Samurai asked, surprised at how run down it looked. The streets were lined with buildings that also served as houses for the citizens. They were basic in design with a front door into the store. Each store had an upstairs where the owner and his or her family lived. "I was at least expecting people to be in the streets."

"Well, this is the only place to resupply. We might as well check it out." Endo replied, walking towards one of the buildings. As he was about to open it, the door swung open and smacked him in the face causing him to fall on the ground.

"Oh, I'm incredibly sorry." An elderly man said, extending his hand to Endo. "We haven't had many visitors, so when I saw your group I rushed out here."

"Wait?" Nick asked, walking over to the man. "I thought this place would be packed because of it being the last place to resupply."

The elderly man sighed before walking back into his store. "This town used to be in a lot worse of a state." He began, signaling for the group to follow him inside. "There used to be two gyms in this town fighting to become the official gym of Dark City. Their fights left the town in pieces and scared away any travelers, but then one day a boy named Tom Ato taught them that they were doing everything wrong. Since then they have worked together to create one single gym, but they are so terrible at fighting together that the league won't make it an official gym. It also doesn't help that people still believe that a gang war is continuing between the two leaders."

Nick sat there listening attentively to the man's story. "What if we help the gym out!?" He asked, getting the man's attention. "I'll challenge the gym even if it isn't an official one yet and teach them to work together."

"You would do that for the town!?" The man asked in amazement. "If you can get them to work together at the gym, everything in here is half off for your group." The man said, only thinking about the business that an official gym would bring to his shop.

The group was now standing outside of what looked to be an old warehouse. The front of the building had two large doors to open and the front read 'Dark City Gym'. "So this is the Dark City gym." Nick said, looking at the building. "I guess they used the first building they could find instead of building a new building."

"Nick, are you sure this is a good idea?" Samurai asked the energetic trainer. "Remember these two men used to run opposing gangs against each other. What if they don't want help." He said, but it was too late as Nick was already through the front doors. "Why do I even bother...?" He muttered as he followed Nick and Endo.

"I know what you mean, Samurai. I don't want us being pulled into any kind of gang wars." Janine said to the young warrior. "Who knows how these two will act. If they never showed any remorse for destroying the town the first time, who is to say that they still aren't violent?" She asked as she followed behind Samurai.

* * *

Once inside the building looked completely different than it did outside. The whole interior was redone with a battlefield right in the center of the room. The floor was covered in hardwood and the walls of the gym were painted white. On both sides of the field were two wooden benches meant for people to sit and watch any battles.

"Welcome to the Dark City Gym!" A voice yelled through the gym. Everyone looked around but didn't see anyone in the room. They then heard the sound of someone being hit.

"How many times do I need to remind you? We show ourselves first, then welcome them." A second voice said, sounding somewhat aggravated. The two people then walked out from behind a door at the other end of the gym. "Welcome, my name is Yas." The taller man said. He was wearing a black shirt with green overalls which had a Y on it.

"And I am Kaz!" The second man said. He was in a blue jumpsuit which had a K on it as well.

The duo then tried to talk together now. "And we are the gym leaders of this gym!" They said, but were out of sync with each other. They then tried to continue on. "Now, who is challenging us today?"

"I am." Nick replied while walking in front of the group. He approached the two gym leaders without any second thoughts. "Which one of you will I be facing?"

"Did you hear that Kaz? He thinks that he only faces one of us." Yas said, laughing at Nick's question.

"Ha, I know it was funny Yas." Kaz responded, laughing as well. "Silly trainer, to earn our badge you must beat both of us in battle. Two one-on-one battles is the mandatory here." He then walked towards Nick. "Be prepared, for I am your first battle."

"Wait!" Yas yelled as he pulled on Kaz's jumpsuit. "I'm the one who battles first!"

"Ya. And every time that happens, you lose." Kaz said, raising his fists at Yas. "I want to win this time, so I'll battle first."

"That isn't what we agreed on and you know it." Yas fired back, his fists were now raised.

 _You have got to be kidding me._ Nick thought to himself as he watched the two trainers argue over who got to fight first. Finally an idea came to Nick. "Um, guys, I might have a solution." He said, getting the two trainers attention. "Why don't you battle together."

"Ha ha ha." The duo laughed at the request. "Silly boy, that isn't allowed." Kaz said, wiping a tear away from his eye.

"Ya, every match is a one-on-one. Don't you know anything about battling?" Yas asked, agreeing with his co-leader.

Nick shook his head at their ignorance. "No, it is allowed. This style of battling is known as a double battle where two pokemon team up and battle against two pokemon. The two then work together and once both pokemon from one side can't battle, the match is over." He explained to the two boneheads. "This kind of battle is common in other regions."

"Hmmm. What do you think Kaz?" The taller leader asked having become interested by the idea. "It seems interesting enough."

"Ya, let's try it out." Kaz said, not really caring but just wanting to fight. "We're both strong so putting us together will make us unbeatable."

The two leaders walked to their side of the field while Nick faced them from his side. The three trainers all sent out their pokemon with them appearing on the field.

"Scyther!" Yas yelled as he tossed his pokeball.

"Electabuzz!" Kaz yelled as he tossed his pokeball.

Janine let out a sigh upon seeing the pokemon with their trainers. "Now I know who these guys are. These two knuckleheads try and apply to become gym leaders at least half a dozen times each gym season for the past three seasons. Every year they get declined, but never learn."

"I remember now." Endo said, also remembering them. "I read over some of their applications from previous years, they really shouldn't own a gym. In the past they put down the reason for wanting a gym as 'to make easy money'." He said, making air quotes as he spoke.

"So why are we helping them then?" Janine asked, the last group of people they met who used pokemon to make money weren't exactly that great. "Pokemon aren't tools to make money. If they can't see that, then they'll never get a gym.

 _So, an Electabuzz and a Scyther. This will be good practice for Dratini and Eevee._ Nick thought as he grabbed their pokeballs. "Eevee, Dratini, I choose you!" The two pokemon appeared ready to fight and were waiting for a command.

"Scyther, start off with a swords dance!" Yas commanded to his partner. Scyther nodded in agreement as he crossed his blades across his chest and started to spin. Upon completion, his attack increased. Yas was impressed by the new strength and was already declaring his next attack. "Now, use cut!" Scyther charged towards Dratini, ready to slice it up.

Kaz wasn't as impressed however. "You still waste time by using moves like that!?" he asked, questioning his partner's strategy. "Allow me to show you true strength. "Electabuzz, use thunderbolt!" He yelled out as Electabuzz shot a current of electricity straight for Dratini. Unfortunately, the blast instead struck Scyther in the back.

"Scy, scyther!" The bug type cried out, staring down Electabuzz.

"What was that all about Kaz?" Yas questioned his partner. "You saw Scyther and attacked it on purpose!" He yelled, his voice rising as he continued to speak. "Well, Scyther will show you what happens when you mess with us. Scyther, use cut on Electabuzz!"

"Oh no, your Scyther got in the way of the attack. If it was faster than it would have dodged it." Kaz argued back. "Electabuzz, use thunderpunch on that puny insect!"

Scyther flew across the field towards Electabuzz while the electric type charged at Scyther. The bug type swung one of its sickles at Electabuzz, but the electric type ducked under it. It then met Scyther with an uppercut to Scyther's chin. Electricity flowed through Sycther's body as it stumbled backwards.

 _Are they serious?_ Nick thought, watching the two trainers fight each other. _I can understand why these two can never get approved._ He continued watching as the two pokemon traded blows with the other. Fist met scythe as the attacks continued. "Hey!" Nick yelled, having grown frustrated with the two trainers. "You're supposed to be battling me, not each other! Eevee swift!"

"Eevee." The normal type cried out, launching the barrage of stars at the two pokemon. The stars soared across the field and collided with Kaz and Yas' pokemon. The two pokemon stumbled backwards having been caught off guard by the attack.

"If you two can't take your responsibilities seriously then you'll never become gym leaders!" Nick yelled, having grown frustrated with the two bumbling trainers. "Dratini, trap them in a twister!"

"Tini!" The dragon pokemon cried out in joy as it whipped up a twister. The cyclone engulfed the two pokemon and trapped them within. Electabuzz and Scyther tried to stand their ground, but the twister was too strong and were thrown around inside of it.

"Do you understand!?" Nick asked, yelling over the twister. "A true trainer works with their pokemon and fellow trainers. They learn to communicate through their actions." He explained, pausing for a moment. "Eevee, end this with swift!"

The normal type was launched into the air by Dratini's tail and was now above the twister. Eevee could see inside that both Electabuzz and Scyther had taken serious damage and was ready to finish them off. He then swung his tail forward as the stars launched forward, colliding with the trapped pokemon. As Eevee fell back towards the ground, Dratini slowed its descent by creating a slide with an ice beam attack.

The twister then slowed to a stop, showing both Electabuzz and Scyther being unable to battle. "An attack like that shouldn't have been able to beat us." Yas cried out, disappointed at losing again. "How many loses does this make?"

"I lost count after 27." Kaz said, crying at the loss. "No matter what we do, we always lose."

Nick recalled Eevee and Dratini to their pokeballs before walking over to the two sobbing trainers. "You lost because of the inability to work together. I heard how you two were rivals before, but that was in the past. You need to move on and work together. Your pokemon are strong and that last attack wouldn't have worked if it wasn't for the fact that you attacked each other." Nick said, extending one hand to each of them. "But, if you're willing to work for it, I'll help you."

Tears were flowing from the two leaders' eyes. "Yo-you'd help us out?" They asked, not sure to believe it.

Yas then reached into his pocket and pulled out a circular object. "But first, this is the official badge of the Dark City gym. You've earned it, even if it was because we attacked each other." He said sheepishly while handing over the badge. It was black in color with a white DC plastered onto it.

"Uh, thanks. But why are you handing out unofficial badges?" Nick asked as he took the badge.

"Unofficial? What is he talking about?" Kaz asked his partner.

"Beats me, maybe the badges aren't official until you earn all eight." Yas said back.

 _Just let them believe it's official Nick. It'll make life easier._ Nick told himself as the others joined him. "Alright, you two will practice battling together until it comes naturally to you." He said, pointing to Samurai and Janine. "These two will be your opponents."

"Hey, don't drag me into this!" Janine yelled, she still wasn't in any mood to help these two out. "Why can't Endo battle with Samurai?"

"Aw, come, Janine, it'll be fun." Samurai said, trying to lighten up the mood. "Besides, you can beat them as badly as you'd like to." He said, playfully.

This lightened her up a little. Knowing that they could beat these two badly made her feel better about facing them. "Fine, but I Still won't enjoy it. Maybe they'll actually learn from this." She said as she walked towards the field, fists clenched at her sides.

"Okay, so it's settled. You two will face off against them until you learn to work together. Then, you can face off against Endo over there." Nick said, pointing towards the fourth member of their group.

"I never agreed to help!" He yelled, upset that he was being dragged into this.

"Yes, that's true, but you told us to come to this town!" Nick argued back. "If you didn't say 'let's stop at Dark City' then maybe we would be closer to Cinnabar Island!" He then faced towards the two wannabe leaders. "Alright, this will be just like our match. You two will treat this like a gym battle."

"That's fine by us." Kaz said, agreeing for the both of them.

Yas became agitated by this remark. "Who says you can speak for me? I'll speak for myself only. It's fine by me." He said, arms folded across his chest.

"Well, I was just being kind!" Kaz yelled at Yas as he turned away from his partner. "Just stay out of my way and this will be good."

 _What did I get myself into?_ Nick thought while silently crying to himself. _These two are hopeless. They'll never learn to work together at this rate. "_ Just choose your pokemon already!" Nick yelled, causing the two trainers to end their argument.

"Right. Go, Raticate!" Kaz yelled as he tossed his pokeball. Out appeared a giant rat who was ready for battle.

"Go, Mankey!" Yas yelled as he tossed his pokeball. Out appeared a pig monkey creature who looked like he was upset.

"Samurai, don't hold back. Let's finish this real fast." Janine said as she reached for a pokeball. "Go, Vulpix!" The fox pokemon appeared out of its pokeball and stretched itself until it was ready.

"Alright. I'll do my best. Go, Parasect!" Samurai yelled as the duel bug and grass type appeared and immediately ran behind Samurai once it saw its opponents. "Parasect come on, you're stronger than before. There is no reason for you to still be scared of every pokemon." Samurai told the bug type. Parasect slowly walked in front of Samurai, still nervous despite trying to do better for Samurai.

Nick walked to the referee's box and started the match. "This match will be between Mankey and Raticate against Vulpix and Parasect. The first side where both pokemon are unable to battle loses. Begin!"

Kaz decided to take the first move and immediately went on the offensive. "Raticate, attack Parasect with a quick attack" Raticate exploded with speed as it chased down Parasect. The rat was about to collide with Parasect when a blur of fire collided with it instead. "But, what happened!?" He asked, confused with what Raticate hit.

"Good job Vulpix." Janine called out to her pokemon. Vulpix and Raticate were pushing against each other. Raticate struggled to keep its ground as the flames from Vulpix's flame charge were staring to engulf it. After a few seconds, Raticate was starting to be pushed back.

Kaz was still confused by Vulpix's actions. "How would they know to counter? And why would they help their partner, in a battle you have no one to trust."

"Not exactly." Nick said, entering the conversation. "Once you get comfortable battling with a partner, you know how to overcome each other's weaknesses." This isn't the first time they've battled together. Vulpix knows that Parasect is slow, so she handles the speedy pokemon." He explained, trying to help them understand how partners really work together. "Besides, in a double battle you need to help your partner as well. If they get knocked out then it becomes one-on-two and you face an uphill battle."

"Having a hard time are you, Kaz?" Yas asked with a mocking tone. "If you can't handle a little fox, let me show you how it's done. Mankey, use karate chop on Vulpix!"

Mankey ran across the field, its right hand starting to glow white. As it approached the fox pokemon, it pulled its hand back and was about to strike when its fist met Parasect's claw. The two appendages collided until Parasect managed to hit Mankey with its free claw. The blow sent Mankey flying on top of Raticate.

"But how are they so strong?" Yas wondered as he watched his opponents work so well together.

"I've already said it. They trust each other to help them when they need it. Vulpix is the speed and Parasect is the wall. If you want to break down Parasect's defensive wall, then you need to work together." Nick explained again, starting to become disappointed in the two.

"Samurai, is it time for 'that move'?" Janine asked, wanting to confuse the two trainers even more than they had.

Samurai smirked at the request. "I thought you'd never ask." He then turned to Parasect. "Parasect, use stun spore on your opponents."

"Now it's our turn. Vulpix use ember on the stun spores!" Janine called out.

Parasect started to shake the giant mushroom on its back as a horde of yellow spores filled the air and approached Mankey and Raticate. Before the spores could finish their descent onto the pokemon, Vulpix's ember lit the spores on fire. This caused the spores to fall quickly onto the two pokemon. Also, the spores that missed them created a ring of fire that surrounded the two pokemon.

"Their... trapped." Both Yas and Kaz stated. They were starting to see how these two trainers trusted each other to the point where they combined attacks. "Should we work like them?" Yas asked his partner.

"I think it's too late for us." Kaz responded as he pointed at Parasect and Vulpix. The two pokemon were both charging up green balls of energy.

"Fire the attack!" The duo yelled as their respective pokemon fired off their energy balls. The two attacks launched forward straight at Raticate and Mankey. The two pokemon were finally recovered after the flaming stun spore attack, but had nowhere to run as they were trapped by the ring of fire. All they could do was watch as the two attacks hit them directly.

Mankey and Raticate were thrown backwards from the force of the attack and fainted from their injuries. "Raticate and Mankey are unable to battle. The winners are Vulpix and Parasect!" Nick said, signaling that Mankey and Raticate were defeated. _That was fast. I thought they were going to go easy._ Nick thought, looking at how disappointed the two leaders looked. He then quickly changed his train of thought. "So, have you two learned anything yet?"

"Yes." Yas said as he wiped away tears from his face. "I think we have understood what it means to fight together."

Kaz nodded his head in agreement. "Ya, their combos were really strong. Now imagine if strong pokemon did something like that!" He said, getting excited at the possibilities.

"What's that supposed to mean!" Both Janine and Samurai yelled, upset at the fact that Kaz just called them weak.

"Well, you said we could battle someone strong once we got the hang of working together. So we want to battle that guy." Yas said while pointing at Endo.

"Ya, we want a really strong opponent!" Kaz yelled out. "We're tired of all these weak people."

Upon hearing this Endo sighed. The Clear Village gym leader sighed as he got up off the bench and walked over to the field. "Are you sure you want a third consecutive battle? Wouldn't you rather enjoy a break first, that way you and your pokemon are rested?" He said, not really in the mood to battle.

"No way." Kaz said. "We're ready to battle at any time. Go, Electabuzz!"

"Ya, what he said." Yas said, agreeing with his partner. "I haven't been this excited in a while, go, Scyther!"

Endo sighed again as he tossed two pokeballs. "Scyther, Beedrill, stand by my side." Out appeared Endo's two pokemon, one that Nick recognized.

"Is that the same Beedrill from our battle?" Nick asked, curious to see how much stronger it has gotten since then.

"Yes. He is one of my most trusted pokemon and one that I always rely on in times of need." Endo said, praising his Beedrill. "Scyther is my first pokemon and my strongest. We have an extremely close bond that can never be broken."

"Alright, this will be a double battle between Scyther and Electabuzz versus Scyther and Beedrill. Let the match begin!" Nick declared.

"Scyther, start off with a swords dance. Beedrill use agility!" Endo declared, trying to strengthen his pokemon up.

"Scyther, go in for a cut attack!" Yas commanded. Kaz looked on in disbelief that Yas would attack directly again. "Trust me, Kaz. When I signal for it, use thunderbolt on Scyther!"

"What? You remember what happened last time, don't you?" Kaz asked, remembering how last time that happened they started arguing. Yas shot him a look, which Kaz assumed must have been the signal. "Right, Electabuzz, use thunderbolt on Scyther!"

Electabuzz fired off the current of electricity straight for Scyther. Instead of letting the attack strike him, Scyther absorbed the electricity into his scythe. Once it was supercharged with electricity, Scyther swung at Beedrill. Once his scythe struck Beedrill, electricity flowed through its body.

"Now I see what they planned." Nick muttered to himself. "They used Scyther as a lightning rod and then transferred that electricity into Beedrill by use of Scyther's scythe. They really are learning."

"Scyther use-" Endo began before being cut off by what sounded like an explosion. "What was that?" He asked before facing the two leaders. "Does this happen usually?"

"No." The two leaders said in agreement. This was a first for them as well. Ever since they stopped fighting each other, the town was now a quiet place.

As they all wondered what caused the noise, a black cloud of smoke filled the room. "Scyther, Beedrill blow away this smoke with your wings!" Endo called out from within the cloud. The two bug type pokemon managed to blow away the smoke and standing in the room were two people wearing orange jumpsuits and masks. "What are exterminators doing here!"

"Why, we are merely here to get rid of pests. We noticed some pokemon in here that meets our criteria." One of the two trainers said while raising a pokeball. "Go, Weezing!"

"But, what are considered pests to you?" Endo asked, thinking that only bug types were pests to this group.

"What a silly question." The second trainer replied. "Anything that isn't used by us are pests. Go, Arbok!"

"Who do you think you are? You can't just ruin our gym!" Yas yelled, angered at the two intruders.

"Ya, we'll show you what happens to people who anger us!" Kaz yelled, clinched fists by his sides.

Before anything else could be done, Endo stepped in front of them. "Let me handle this. They're stronger than they look." He said, but the two leaders stepped in front of him as well.

"This is our gym." Kaz said. "We'll handle any problems here"

"Ya, Kaz is right. If we can't defend our gym, then what kind of leaders are we?" Yas said as he stepped forward. "Scyther, use wing attack on Weezing!"

"Scyther!" It yelled as it charged at the poison type. Scyther's wings glowed white as he flew right past Weezing, striking the pokemon directly. Weezing however wasn't going to let the bug type fly away so easily, launching a flamethrower at Scyther.

"Don't worry, we've got it under control. Electabuzz, use light screen!" Kaz yelled out. A screen of light appeared behind Scyther, blocking the flamethrower and causing the beam of fire to bounce off and hit Arbok by mistake. "Ya, it worked!" Now, use thunderbolt on Scyther!"

"These guys are crazy. Attacking each other, are they asking to lose?" One of the two exterminators asked. "Whatever, Arbok, use wrap on Scyther!"

Yas smirked at the attack. "Perfect, Scyther, allow yourself to be trapped!" Yas yelled out, stopping Scyther from dodging. Arbok wrapped itself around Scyther right before it was struck with electricity. Following the wrap attack, Scyther's body was filled with electricity, but Arbok was the one being injured. "Now, spin until Arbok is thrown off of you!"

"Electabuzz, get a thunderpunch ready." Kaz called out, already planning another move to work with Yas.

Scyther started to pick up speed as he spun around. Arbok's grip started to loosen up the faster Scyther spun. Eventually Arbok lost its grip completely and was thrown off of Scyther and right at Electabuzz. The snake pokemon was met with a thunderpunch to the face and was now heading straight for Weezing.

"These two, are too strong for us." The second trainer stated. "We should leave while we still can." He said to his partner.

"You're right." The partner said, recalling his pokemon. "Weezing, smokescreen, and then return!" Weezing launched a cloud of smoke before being recalled into their pokeballs.

The duo tried to escape, but collided with a body blocking the door. "I thought you'd try and escape, so I blocked the exit." Endo said, grabbing the two trainers by their clothes. "Now tell me, why are you trying to take over gyms?"

The two trainers cowered in fear. They were told that the mission should have been easy. No one told them that more trainers would be there. "Our boss told us to find a new base of operations since our last one was destroyed. So, we're taking over any gyms we can and then will decide on our favorite one." The first trainer said while dropping a cube. Out of the cube came a loud pitched noise that hurt everyone's ears, including Endo. This caused him to drop the trainers as they escaped from the group.

* * *

"They tricked us." Endo said, kicking a rock because of his frustration. He then cooled down, remembering about their mission. "So, they're looking for a new base are they? I wonder what for."

Nick, seeing how competent the two leaders were now, decided that it would be best to leave before the dup fought and ruined all their work. "Well, we can figure it out on the road. We really need to get to Cinnabar Island." Nick said, pulling the three other members of the group with him. He turned around to face Yas and Kaz one last time. "Good luck in getting approved and becoming official gym leaders one day!"

"Kaz, why does he think we weren't official gym leaders?" Yas asked his partner, unsure of what the last statement said. "You did read that letter we got last week correctly, didn't you?"

"Of course." He replied, pulling the letter out of his pocket. "I'll read it again. 'Due to the unforeseen destruction of the Viridian City gym, the league has approved the Dark City gym on an interim basis. You will be judged by the league at the beginning of next season to see if you are worthy of keeping your status as an official gym.' Oh, I understand now. We never placed the sign up." He said, pointing to their official gym sticker that was mailed to them.

"Ah, that makes real good sense. We should hang it up now." Yas said, taking the sticker.

"Hey, I found it, I should hang it up!" Kaz argued, trying to take the sticker back.

"But I'm taller so I can place it in a higher spot where everyone can see it!" Yas said, not wanting to give up the sticker. "Besides, you thought this was a sign, it's just a temporary sticker!"

"Do you guys hear something?" Endo asked, picking up parts of the duo's argument.

"Just keep walking. We did our part of helping them battle together. No one said we had to make them like each other." Nick said as he picked up the pace. "So, any idea on how far away the port is from here?"

"No, probably a few days away if we continue at this pace." Endo said, assuring Nick that they would reach Cinnabar shortly. "You can use this time to train all of your pokemon. Even if we reach the port soon, it'll still take a few days to reach Cinnabar Island."

"I guess you're right." Nick said, surprisingly he had no intention to argue with Samurai's brother. Instead he just agreed with the wise figure. "Then when I reach Cinnabar Gym, I'll be able to win easily." Nick cried out while pumping his fists in the air.

While the Nick and Endo were talking about reaching the port, Samurai had other thoughts on his mind. _What exactly did they mean by a base? What are these 'exterminators', if that's even their real name, planning on doing? There has to be something behind all of these attacks, something more than they are letting us onto, but what? If I can figure this out-_ His thoughts were interrupted by a hand in front of his face.

"Earth to Samurai, anyone home?" Janine teased as she waved her hand back and forth in front of his face. Seeing that she got his attention she continued. "You alright? You look like a lot of things are on your mind."

"Well, I've been thinking about these 'exterminators'." He said, making air quotes when he said exterminator. "Isn't it weird that they're targeting gyms in lesser known cities? If it's an organization looking for a base, I don't feel comfortable that they're trying to hide from everyone. There has to be something more behind their motives."

Janine could see the tension in his face and tried to lighten the mood. "Hey, no need to get stressed out over it. When the time comes for your match for the ownership of Clear Village gym, we'll all be with you. Nick, Endo and myself. All of us will be cheering you on."

"Your right." He said, his face becoming a lot more relaxed. "With everyone there with me, there's no way that I'll lose." He then flashed Janine a smile. "You know, battling with you today was pretty fun. I don't think I see you get angry too often. It can be scary, but when you battle alongside it, you know the battle will be fun." He said, laughing about how their battle with Yas and Kaz went earlier.

Janine remembered how she had acted earlier once she found out the reason Yas and Kaz wanted to be gym leaders was. "Ya, you could say I was just annoyed with them." She said laughing. "You know, that anger can appear more often if you'd like. I mean, it was tough enough keeping you and Nick under control, but now I need to keep three boys from running wild." She said teasingly while lightly elbowing Samurai.

"Hey, I'm not that difficult to settle down." He teased back before laughing. "Nick's the one who's always running off in a hurry."

Endo was silently listening to their little conversation and smiled at how Samurai was now relaxing after becoming tenseful. _Laugh now, brother, for the road to re-earning our gym will be hard. But no matter what, always remember the strength you get from fighting for those you care for. Use it as your determination._

* * *

Elsewhere in Kanto, an organization was gathered in a warehouse. The building was poorly lit and was filled with a large number of men and women dressed in all black uniforms. The only part that was different in color was a red R on their chests. Standing before them all was a man in a black jacket that had a yellow trim around the neck. He wore white gloves and boots and a black hat. Under the hat was green hair.

On the ground before him were two trainers in orange jumpsuits. "How could you mess up one simple mission!" He yelled at the two grunts. "We've kept a close eye on these two, they are incompetent at battling."

"But, Proton, there were others with them." One of the two trainers said, trying to get out of trouble. "They weren't the same as before, as if they were trained by someone."

Proton swung a whip at the grunt, connecting with his arm. "I'm not asking for excuses. Our base in Viridian City was destroyed. Our leader Giovanni has asked us to find a suitable replacement until his new base is fully operational. So far, we have only captured the Clear Village gym, hardly an accomplishment since I had to battle him myself!"

The two grunts tried to scurry backwards only to collide with a man wearing nicer version of the Rocket uniform with two yellow stripes running down it. He also wore white gloves and boots and his hair was purple. "Proton, aren't you being too tough on them? Besides, you know the boss isn't interested in running Team Rocket from some dump of a town." The man said as he walked up to his equal.

"Petrel, you always are making the rest of us look bad. But, you're right. The boss would never approve of Dark City, I'm just getting anxious since Archer and Ariana left to help establish our Johto branch. The boss left us in charge while he oversees the reconstruction of the base and I'm not letting him down." Proton said as he looked down at the grunts gathered in the room. "That goes for everyone else, we will continue to spread the name of Team Rocket throughout the world!"

"That's fine, Proton." Petrel said as he placed his arm around his fellow executive. "We'll use the Clear Village gym for the time being. How much longer do you think the construction will take anyways." He said before getting an idea. "Even after the base is rebuilt, we could use the gym as a new training center for recruits."

"Fine, we just need to make sure that this group from Dark City doesn't bother us again." Proton said as he walked out of the building.

* * *

It was now late at night and everyone was now sleeping in their tents, except for one. Samurai was up training, unable to fall asleep. "Come on, Pinsir, I know you can hit harder than that." Samurai said as he blocked an x-scissor from his Pinsir. The two had been training for a while now, probably close to an hour now.

From inside his tent, Endo could hear noises from outside and decided to check on it. Once he poked his head out, he could barely make out the images of Samurai and Pinsir panting on the ground. _He's still up. I heard him get up earlier, but that was hours ago. I didn't think he'd spend the whole night training._

"Pinsir, we need to get stronger." Samurai told his trusted partner. "Not only to avenge Endo and reclaim his gym, but I feel that something is happening, something that isn't for the best. And when that time comes, we need to be ready to protect our friends."

"He's taking this so seriously..." Endo muttered as he watched the duo resume training. "Well, I may not be able to fight with him in this battle, but I can help him prepare." He said before going back to sleep.

* * *

 **Well, that's this chapter. Nick officially has eight badges now, but doesn't realize it yet. Also, I hope that it is obvious that the 'exterminators are just Team Rocket in disguise. I am going to use them differently than how the anime did, especially since I included the four executives from HGSS. I hope everyone is enjoying the story still and please vote in the poll.**

 **Team:**

 **Nick- 7 badges:**

 **Eevee- swift, quick attack, dig, shadow ball**

 **Kingler- water gun, crabhammer, stomp, mud shot**

 **Charizard- flamethrower, ember, dragon tail, brick break**

 **Gastly- night shade, venoshock, hypnosis, dark pulse**

 **Hitmonchan- mach punch, agility, comet punch, thunder punch**

 **Dratini- Twister, Ice beam**

 **At Oak's:**

 **Beedrill- poison sting, fury attack, twinneedle, hyper beam**

 **Shellder**

* * *

 **Samurai- league exam badge:**

 **Pinsir- x-scissor, bulldoze, harden, revenge**

 **Venonat- supersonic, poison fang, confusion, signal beam**

 **Parasect- energy ball, stun spore, fury cutter, slash**

 **Sandshrew- Rollout, mud-slap, dig**

 **At home:**

 **Butterfree- aerial ace, sleep powder**

* * *

 **Janine- league exam badge:**

 **Venonat- psybeam, foresight,**

 **Golbat- wing attack, hypnosis, venoshock, shadow ball**

 **Grimer- flamethrower, poison jab, minimize, mud-slap**

 **Vulpix- ember, flame charge, attract, energy ball**


	43. The Awakening of a Legend

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Pokemon.**

* * *

"Look, I can see the Seafoam Islands!" Janine called out from top deck of the boat. It had been a few days since they reached the ferry. The trip went smoothly, the ocean was calm so the ride was gentle.

"Good. I don't know how much longer I could last." Nick replied before throwing up over the side of the boat. "I've had to put up with this for about three days now. Samurai, how have you been?" He asked, only to receive no answer. He looked to his left to see if Samurai heard him, but there was no sight of the trainer at all. "I wonder where he went." Nick asked, about to go looking for his friend before the urge to throw up made him run back to his railing.

"I don't know. Maybe he went off with Endo." Janine said, unsure herself. "Who knows what those two could be up to though? So, Nick, how long are we staying on the Seafoam Islands?"

Nick had just finished throwing up when he slowly lifted his head. "The boat to Cinnabar doesn't leave for a couple days. Hopefully we'll be able to leave by the end of the week." He replied before moaning at his sea sickness.

"How do you get seasick every time you're on a moving boat? The ocean isn't even that bad." Janine asked, unsure of how Nick always got sick while they traveled by boat.

Nick shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. I've always loved swimming in the ocean, but something about boats just doesn't sit well with my body."

"Okay, we're almost at the Seafoam Islands now, little brother." Endo said as he recalled Scyther into its pokeball. "We'll take a short break before continuing back on the island. From what I've been told, we should have a few days before departing for Cinnabar Island." He said, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

Samurai nodded in agreement before recalling Pinsir. "If you say so, but where are we going to train? Aren't the Islands a tourist location?"

"They are, but there is a cave on the far side of the island." Endo said as he pulled out a map of the Seafoam Islands. "Tourists never visit there because it is inhabited by many strong pokemon. We can use the surrounding area to train."

"We are now approaching the Seafoam Islands." A voice said as it rang over the loudspeaker. "Everyone who is getting off here should be heading towards the front of the ship, otherwise you might be stuck heading back to the port."

"I guess that's our cue, little brother." Endo said as he folded the map and put it away. He then picked up his backpack as he walked towards the front of the ship. "You coming?" He asked once he noticed Samurai wasn't following him.

"You go on ahead, I'll catch up." Samurai said as he stared off into space. _Will all this training make a difference? If I'm not strong enough, then all of this will just have been a waste of time._ He thought to himself as he approached the front of the boat. _I have to get better, for my family... and my friends._ Samurai walked down the ramp and towards the group.

"There you are Samurai." Nick said, starting to feel better since the ship docked. "We were wondering where you had disappeared to. We're going to head to the pokemon center to check in and reserve a couple rooms for a few nights." He said as he walked towards the Pokemon Center with everyone behind him.

"I was just doing something by myself." He replied before following the group towards the Pokemon Center. "So, how long are we staying on the Islands?"

"Only a few days." Nick replied over his shoulder. "Just until the ship going to Cinnabar is ready. Hey, Samurai, you think we can have a quick match once we're all settled down?"

"Sure..." Samurai replied, unsure of why Nick was asking for a battle out of nowhere. "But, why now out of any time?"

Nick stopped in his tracks as he turned to face the bug type expert. "Well, the whole trip over here I was seasick and was unable to train at all for my last gym badge." He said, rubbing the back of his head nervously. "This way, I can try and stay sharp for when we reach Cinnabar Island." The trainer explained as they reached the Center. "I'll go reserve our rooms for the next few nights, you go and grab one of the fields out back for our battle."

"Sounds good, but unfortunately Samurai is busy right now." Endo added before walking away. _I would like Samurai to face off against Nick, that boy can be unpredictable at times, but I already had plans with his training_

"Alright, Janine, you want to help me get ready then?" The trainer asked nicely to his other traveling friend. "I know I don't ask you often, but I need to practice."

Janine let out a sigh as she relented to Nick's request. "Fine, I'll help you out while we're on the island." She said before facing Samurai and Endo. "So, what exactly are you two doing for training today?" She asked kindly to the duo.

Samurai opened his mouth to reply only to have Endo cover it with his mouth. "That isn't really important. What is important is that Samurai starts to improve." He said, giving his brother a look before facing the others. "I'm sorry to leave, but we really have to start training as soon as possible. I hope you understand." Endo said before pulling Samurai with him.

"You know, Nick, sometime I think he doesn't trust us." Janine said as she walked into the Pokemon Center. "Honestly, would it kill him to tell us what kind of training they're doing?"

Nick shrugged his shoulders as a response before going into more detail. "It doesn't bother me. Think about it, except when you and your father visited them, they have had no relations with anyone outside of their village. Of course it makes sense that he might not trust us." He said before walking up to Nurse Joy. "Hello, Nurse Joy, are there anymore rooms available?"

Nurse Joy turned to her computer and started to check the status of all the rooms. "One moment, I'm checking through the database." After a minutes, she managed to find three rooms that were still available. "I only have three rooms left, but you can have them if you want. They're on the other side of this Center so it is a little walk compared to the normal rooms."

"That's fine, thank you." Nick said as he reached for the keys. "Can I keep them reserved for the next three days? The boat to Cinnabar Island leaves in two, but this way we can be safe incase we miss it." He asked, not wanting to be rude and hog the last three rooms.

"That isn't a problem at all. Some trainers have rented rooms for over a week at a time. Three days is nothing. Now, I'm going to need the names to put the rooms under." She said as she started to type something into the computer.

"Okay, you can put down, Nick, Janine and Endo for the three rooms." The trainer said before he put the keys into his pocket. "Thank you once again" Nick said before he went over to Janine. "What's so funny?" He asked once he noticed she was laughing.

"Well, it's just, I've never seen you be so respectful to someone. I've always seen you fighting with Samurai or Ebony or even Zach for that short time in Fuchsia City. I just never thought you could act that way." She explained as she got her laughter under control.

"Real funny. My parents taught me to respect my elders and to respect girls." Nick explained to his friend. "In the case with Ebony, she gives me a hard time so I fight back. Now, let's go find somewhere to battle." He said, walking out of the Pokemon Center.

Janine sighed to herself as she followed after him. _That boy really has a one track mind doesn't he? If it isn't battling it's taking care of his pokemon or what new strategy can he come up with. Samurai is kind of the same way, just not as bad._

* * *

"Why'd you cover my mouth, Endo!?" Samurai demanded to know once they were away from the others. "They just wanted to know what kind of training we were doing. Would it be so bad just to let them in on it!?"

"Samurai, everything that I have done since meeting up with you outside of Fuchsia City is for a reason. I'm going to let you in on a secret. There is no such thing as the exterminators." Endo said, shocking Samurai greatly. "Now, everything I am about to tell you cannot be repeated to anyone. Not Nick, not Janine, not even to our father. Just recently, I was contacted by a man by the name of Kevin. He told me about a crime organization by the name of Team Rocket and how he believes that they might be after some of the gyms so that they could use them as a front for their bases." Endo explained, stopping for a second to breath. "He told me that if anyone strange appeared looking to battle me, that I was to lose on purpose.

* * *

 _Flashback_

"What! Why would I lose my gym on purpose!?" Endo demanded to know. Sitting across from him was a man wearing a trench coat and black sunglasses.

"Because. It is to help us catch Team Rocket." The man replied back calmly. He already knew how crazy his request sounded, so he was being patient with the man. "Team Rocket is up to something right now. We don't know what exactly, but if we had a place that we believed was hiding them, then it would be easier to stop them."

"So, why me?" Endo asked as he sipped from his cup. "Out of every gym leader, why ask me?"

"You're inexperienced." The man replied calmly. "They'll see your lack of time as a gym leader will make you an easier target. Plus, your gym is in a good location for them. It's away from civilization so they can operate in secrecy, but they can still reach either Pewter or Viridian City in a few days."

Endo sighed as he placed his now empty cup on the table. "I'll probably regret it, but I'll help you guys out. Now, what do you want me to do after losing?"

"You've heard about the Fuchsia City Tournament coming up soon?" The man asked as he received a nod as an answer. "Good, meet me on the outskirts of Fuchsia City and I'll tell you the rest." The man said as he got ready to leave.

"Wait!" Endo called out, causing the man to stop in his tracks. "What do I call you by? What's your name?"

The man removed his sunglasses and looked Endo in the eyes. "I don't have an official name any more. I frequently change it to protect my friends and family, but you can call me Kevin for the time being."

* * *

"So, you ran into Kevin as well." Samurai said as he sat down and tried to digest all of the information. "We ran into the same guy while in Saffron and Fuchsia City. He told us all about Team Rocket."

"Yeah. Figures he'd find you guys." Endo said as he smiled at his brother. "You and your friends find ways to impress people. But, after meeting up with him again, he told me to head towards the Seafoam Islands as there were sightings of Team Rocket there. I then ran into you guys and used you as an excuse to travel here without any suspicion."

* * *

"Endo, I'm behind you." Kevin said from the bench right behind Endo's bench. "We need to talk about something."

"Already? I just got down here." He replied back, tired from his trip.

"Yes and it's important. Team Rocket was seen around the Seafoam Islands a few days ago. I need you to go there and see what they're up to." Kevin explained as he stood up, only to be followed by Endo.

"Why me? I never signed up to join you in fighting crime." Endo remarked as he followed Kevin to a secluded area. "Why can't you just travel there?"

Kevin removed his shades as he looked at Endo. "I can't because I'm currently on the trail of a high ranking Team Rocket member. I can't afford to lose this trail, it might lead me back to their boss. I can't send anyone else because we spread ourselves too thin. You're the only one I know who I can trust with this job." He explained to the bug-type expert.

"So, what exactly do I do there?" Endo asked, wanting to make sure it wouldn't be something that would put his family or himself in danger.

"Nothing too dangerous. Just be yourself, a trainer who wanted to visit the other side of the island to train with the wild Pokemon. Then if you see anything suspicious, let us know." Kevin said as he received a call. "I'm sorry, one moment." He said as he answered the call. "You found him? Okay, I'm heading there right now, do not engage him, just follow him." He said, Endo only understanding half of the phone call. "I'm sorry, but I need to leave now, the guy I'm after is on the move again."

"No problems, just get going." Endo said as he started to walk away himself. "Besides, you guys got me a vacation to the Seafoam Islands, I should be thanking you."

* * *

"So, that's why you wanted to train me, in case anyone comes after me?" Samurai asked, not knowing if he should be happy or upset.

"Yes, but I wasn't lying when I need you to take back our gym. It would seem too suspicious if I'm able to beat them so soon after losing to them." Endo replied as they continued to walk deeper into the island.

"So, what exactly are we looking for? We've been walking for a while." Samurai moaned as his feet started to get sore from all of the walking. "Can't we just train right here?"

Endo smiled at his little brother before looking ahead towards the trail. "No. There are rumors of a strong pokemon living deep within a cave located on the island. We are finding that cave to make sure no one tries to steal it."

"Wait, you're not talking about-" Samurai began only to be cut off by his brother.

"Articuno? That's exactly the pokemon I'm talking about." Endo replied as he pulled a tree branch out of his way. "I don't know where the cave is, but there are only a few on the island. Around two or three of them so it might take us all day."

* * *

"Vulpix, use flame charge on Draitini. Golbat, shadow ball on Kingler!" Janine called out as her two pokemon performed their moves. Vulpix charged at the dragon pokemon, picking up speed before being engulfed in flames. Golbat on the other hand stayed up in the sky as it fired off spheres made up of ghostly energy.

 _Think of something, Nick. And quickly._ The young trainer told himself as he watched the attacks approach. Finally, something came to him. "It isn't perfect, but it'll do for now." He said to himself before facing his pokemon. "Dratini, use ice beam to lift yourself off the ground. Kingler, use crabhammer to hit that shadow ball back at Golbat!"

Both pokemon nodded in agreement before performing their commands. Dratini faced itself towards the ground before firing off the beam off ice. The dragon pokemon was launched high up into the air as it spun around casting the ice beam. Once it was finished, a tower of ice was now standing where Dratini once was.

Vulpix had no time to change directions once the tower of ice was created. Due to its speed, the fox pokemon crashed right into the creation and melted a small section of it from where it ran into. Vulpix then went to change directions, only to slip on the ice that covered the floor while Dratini had spun around.

Meanwhile, Kingler was preparing itself for the shadow ball attack. The water type pulled its claw back as it started to glow before launching it forward. The two attacks collided as Kingler managed to overpower Golbat's shadow ball before sending it right back at the bat pokemon.

"Quick, Golbat, dodge the attack and then use wing attack on Dratini!" Janine responded with as her Golbat flew right above the returned Shadow Ball before changing directions for Dratini. Golbat's wings started to glow white as it approached the dragon pokemon who was a sitting duck.

Dratini couldn't dodge the attack at all as it was too far off the ground to jump off of the ice tower and land safely. Out of reaction, Dratini lifted its tail to counter the attack. This time, however, Dratini's tail started to change to a greenish color as well as form scales over it.

"That's dragon tail..." Nick muttered as he watched the two attacks collide. Dratini's tail met Golbat's wing as the two attacks pushed off of one another. Unfortunately, due to standing on ice, Dratini started to slide off of its tower before completely falling over the edge and towards the ground.

"Do you want Golbat to catch Dratini?" Janine asked as she was about to order the command before seeing Nick shake his head.

"No, that wouldn't happen in any other battles. Dratini, use ice beam on Golbat! Kingler, slow Dratini's descent with water gun!" The boy called out.

While in mid-air, Dratini straightened itself out so that it was facing the bat pokemon. Without a second's notice, the familiar ice attack had shot out of its mouth and encased Golbat. The attack ended up freezing the bat pokemon as it started to free fall towards the ground.

Kingler, seeing that the attack was over, opened its claw before firing out the stream of water. The dragon pokemon landed graciously on the stream before being slowly let down onto the ground. Both pokemon were now waiting to see what was to come next.

"Vulpix, thaw out Golbat with your ember attack!" Janine called out to the fox pokemon. Immediately following the command, sparks of hot embers were shot out of Vulpix's mouth and landed on the free falling bat pokemon.

Having now been freed from its icy constraint, Golbat started to flap its wings to become loose again.

"Dratini, end this now with a twister! Quick before they can separate or recover!" Nick called out as his pokemon whipped its tail around, creating a giant twister.

The twister was picking up speed as it approached the two pokemon. Janine watched as they struggled with staying on the ground as Vulpix started to get lifted up into the air. She could only watch as Golbat looked flustered, flapping its wings wildly only to be going nowhere.

Seeing this gave the ninja an idea. "Golbat! Stop struggling to get away and instead just flap as hard as you can!" She called out, remembering how they beat Gastly back in Fuchsia City.

Golbat gave a sign that it understood the command as it started to flap its wings as hard as it could. Eventually, the bat pokemon had created a strong enough wind current that the twister was now being weakened from it. Seeing Vulpix begin to drop, Golbat flew over and caught the fox pokemon with its feet and placed her on the ground.

The bat pokemon then continued flapping just as its trainer commanded, finally pushing the twister back at Dratini and Kingler with twice the strength that it originally had.

Seeing this happen, Nick could do nothing but tip his hat to Janine for finding a flaw in his attack. He watched as Dratini and Kingler were sucked up into the even stronger twister as they were knocked out by the increased attack.

"Kingler, Dratini, return!" Nick said as he called the two pokemon back into their pokeballs. "You two did well today. Take a nice rest." He said before placing them back with the other pokeballs. The young trainer walked over to Janine with a friendly smile. "Tell me, how'd you beat my attack?"

Janine rubbed the back of her neck as Golbat landed on her shoulder. "Well, I just remembered how Golbat can create powerful wind currents with its wings like when we battled your Gastly. I just used the same strategy but instead of immobilizing a pokemon, I returned the attack but at an even stronger rate."

"I completely forgot about Golbat's strong wings. You have to teach me that trick before the league. It would come in handy with Charizard." Nick said as he sat down on the grassy field. As he looked around the area. "Man, why did the next ship have to be two days away? I'm going to lose my mind sitting around here."

Janine couldn't help but laugh at his attitude. "Nick, you're at one of the biggest tourist locations in all of Kanto and you think you'll be bored. Why not relax a little and have fun."

Nick laughed at himself too, not about how he was acting, but because of what happened the last time he acted this way. "You're sounding just like Samurai. When we were at the Cerulean Cape, I didn't want to go swimming or anything like that. I just sat there and read my book in the shade. Samurai, seeing me as boring, had all the pokemon team up on me and force me into the water." He said before standing up. "I guess I'll go to the beach."

Nick then started to walk back towards the Pokemon Center so he could go change into some clothes for the beach. Janine, meanwhile was still outside looking out towards the other side of the island.

"Speaking of Samurai, I wonder how those two are doing." She asked herself before getting hit in the face with an ember attack. Looking down she saw Vulpix look sheepishly at her bag on the ground. "I guess you want food, don't you." She said before picking up her bag and heading into the Center.

* * *

"Parasect, use energy ball!" Samurai called out. The duo had fund one of the caves, but they were unsure if it was the correct one. Once inside however, there were plenty of pokemon to battle.

The dual bug and grass type launched off the sphere of grass energy right at the enemy Golduck. The water type flawlessly jumped over the attack while performing a front flip so that the two pokemon were now back to back.

"Use the advantage of Parasect's larger mushroom. Its spore based attacks are much stronger now!" Endo called out, coaching his brother through their training.

"R-right." Samurai said as he nodded in agreement. He was surprised at how into it his brother was getting despite this just being ordinary training.

"Parasect, use your stun spore attack followed by another energy ball!" The warrior called out to his pokemon.

Parasect started to shake its large mushroom as yellow spores scattered all around it. The spores continued to drop until completely enveloping Golduck in them. The water type pokemon couldn't move as it felt its whole body be paralyzed.

To Golduck's surprise, Parasect then managed to spin around quickly as an orb of green light blasted itself right into Golduck's chest, knocking the pokemon out.

Endo clapped to show his approval on how far Parasect had come since Samurai first told him about it as a Paras. Although it still was timid and easily scared at times, it showed just how powerful it was. "That went well, I think your Parasect is an incredible battler." He said as he walked up to the injured Golduck.

The gym leader bent over as he sprayed some medicine onto Golduck's wounds, healing it and helping it recover from the paralysis. "Thank you for the battle, Golduck." Endo said as he bowed at the pokemon. "You've helped us become stronger today."

"Gol, golduck." The water type responded with before walking deeper into the cave, waving back towards the two trainers before disappearing from view.

"Is this all you plan on having us do?" Samurai asked as he returned Parasect to its pokeball. "Just battle these wild pokemon all day."

Endo shook his head back and forth. "No. We'll be exploring the caves in a little bit." He said as he looked around the cave. "This one seems to have no signs of anyone else here. For now, why don't you show me your remaining pokemon. I know you have Pinsir and Parasect, but you should have a few others if I'm right."

Samurai rubbed the back of his neck out of embarrassment. "Right, I forgot to introduce you to them." He said as he reached for his two other pokeballs. "Sandshrew, Venonat, come on out!" The warrior called out as he tossed the two pokeballs into the air.

Out of the pokeballs appeared his two other pokemon, and immediately their two different personalities were obvious. Venonat, upon touching the ground appeared to be interested in its new surroundings. Venonat looked around the cave, taking interest in the design of it. Sandshrew however just rolled up into a ball and went to sleep.

"Interesting." Endo stated once he noticed the Sandshrew. "I thought you planned on becoming a bug-type master. What's with the Sandshrew?"

"Well, you see," Samurai started as he walked over to Sandshrew. "Nick and myself both saw a Sandslash and thought it was a cool looking pokemon. We then competed against each other and after a while Nick gave up." He explained as he patted the curled up Sandshrew.

Sandshrew was awoken by the sudden patting and wasn't pleased by it. The ground type quickly uncurled itself before scratching Samurai in the face. "Sandshrew, shrew." The ground type was now on its back laughing at its trainer's face.

"That was uncalled for!" Samurai yelled at his pokemon, who was enjoying this way too much. "Apologize to me! I am your trainer, you should treat me with more respect."

Seeing Samurai upset, Sandshrew extended its left hand out to him. An act of trying to bring peace between them was what it looked like to Samurai, but he didn't notice the other hand slowly lower into the ground.

"See, that's what I'm talking about, Sandshrew. If we work together instead of fighting, imagine how strong we'd be." Samurai said as he reached for Sandshrew's extended arm, but before they could shake hands a pile of mud ended up in Samurai's face. The bug-type trainer wiped the mud off of his face only to see Sandshrew enjoying itself. "Fine, I try and be nice, but you forced me to do this. Back into your pokeball" He said as Sandshrew was returned into its pokeball.

Endo was watching the whole situation with a confused look on his face. "So tell me. Does Sandshrew not listen to you or is it just a prankster?"

"Neither." Samurai said as he sat down on the ground. "He just doesn't like me. Because of that, I leave him in his pokeball quite often. Every time I let him out, I end up with mud in my face."

"Do you ever think it's because of the fact you don't use him often that he doesn't like you?" Endo said as he sat down next to his brother. "Maybe if you used him more often, he'll hate you less."

Samurai shook his head at that comment. "I don't think he hates me, he just doesn't trust me enough to like me. To me, there's a big difference between hating someone and not liking them."

Just then, an earthquake shook the entire cave they were in causing Sandshrew's pokeball to fall off of Samurai's belt. The ball started to roll across the room as Samurai jumped up to get it.

"Sandshrew!" The trainer yelled out as he ran across the cave after the pokeball. "Stop rolling so fast!" He called out, acting as if Sandshrew had control over the pokeball. In the confusion, the young trainer never noticed that his other three pokeballs had come unclipped as well but luckily Endo had grabbed them.

"Be careful!" Endo yelled out as he dodged as few falling icicles as he grabbed Venonat and returned it to its pokeball. "These caves are extremely old. Some parts of the floor are fragile, try not to get hurt." He yelled out as he could no longer see his brother. The icicles had also blocked his path from being able to follow Samurai.

Samurai was quickly catching up to the pokeball as he slid across the ground to grab it. "Got you." He said happily as his hands wrapped around the pokeball. However, to his surprise, he heard a cracking sound. He looked down at the ground beneath him only to see it collapse.

Samurai then felt his body start to freefall deeper into the cave. Seeing no way out of it, the young warrior rolled around in the air, having it be that his back would take the impact from any blow. As he fell, Samurai grasped Sandshrew's pokeball to his chest as he tried to keep the pokemon safe.

Finally, Samurai finally collided with something. To his surprise, it wasn't the ground or any ice but instead a large pool of water he felt himself fall into. "Water?" He said once his head was above the water. "I guess it makes since. With all the water types who live here and all." He stated to himself as he swam his way over to the shore. Sitting there, he rung his shirt and pants out so that they wouldn't be that soaked. "I wonder how far I actually fell. Hopefully, Venonat, can find an exit." He said as he reached for Venonat's pokeball only to realize that all of his pokeballs were gone. "W-where are all of my pokeballs!? Pinsir, Parasect, Venonat! They're all gone!" He yelled as he frantically searched for them.

* * *

"Samurai!" Endo yelled out as he slowly climbed around the fallen icicles, making sure to not fall through any of the weak spots in the cave's floor. "Samurai! If you can hear me, yell back!" He stated before seeing a hole in the ground. "No, this isn't good. He must have fell down that hole while chasing after Sandshrew." Endo slowly backed away from the hole as he said this, not wanting to accidently fall down as well. Looking around the area, he realized that there was only one way to get down there. Quickly, he grabbed one of his pokeballs and tossed it up into the sky. "Venomoth, use your psychic attack to slowly lower me down this hole.

"Venomoth." The moth pokemon stated as its eyes glowed blue before lifting Endo up into the air and slowly lowering him down into the hole.

"Hold on, Samurai, I'm on my way." Endo stated as Venomoth and himself made their way down into the lower levels of the cave.

* * *

"This is relaxing to you?" Janine asked as she watched Nick sit in a beach chair and read a book about the previous Kanto League. "Most people come to the beach for the sun, sand and water. Not to sit in the shade, sleep and read." She said, trying to get the beach bum out of his chair.

"Give me a break." Nick said as he sat up in his chair. "I went in the water earlier didn't I." He stated back to the ninja. "Besides, I do other things at the beach. I just enjoy relaxing by reading my book." He said before laying back down.

Janine, upset by this answer walked back into the water by herself. "If Samurai and Endo were here they'd be much more fun than Nick." She muttered under her breath before glancing towards the other side of the island. "I wonder what kind of training they're doing right now."

Nick once again tried to read his book before being interrupted by another person. "Listen, I told you before, I like to read at the beach. Give me a break." He stated before sitting up and realizing that it wasn't Janine this time. Seeing to familiar faces standing in front of him made Nick jump up out of his seat from the surprise, landing in the sand because of it. "Brock? Misty? Why are you two here and where's Ash, weren't you three traveling together?" He asked as he stood up out of the sand.

"It's good to see you too, Nick." Brock replied as he gave Nick a hand. "We're here with a majority of the residents from Pallet Town. Mrs. Ketchum organized this a few months ago and invited us to come along."

"Ash, on the other hand is back home training." Misty said, laughing at the image of Ash wanting to come along with them. "He just recently won his last badge, so his mom made him stay back and train. You should have seen him. But, why are you here?"

Nick rubbed the back of his head as he let out a nervous chuckle. "Well, we were on our way to Cinnabar Island for my last gym badge, but the ship we were on only goes as far as the Seafoam Islands and the ship to Cinnabar doesn't leave for two days." He said as he placed his book down on the chair. "I decided to rest a little for the next two days because I don't know how the gym leader is."

"Believe me when I say, he is a mystery." Misty said as she remembered Blaine's riddles.

"What does that mean? That doesn't make any sense." Nick stated, stumped by a simple clue like that.

 _Have fun with Blaine's riddles if you can't figure out one like this._ Brock thought before noticing that Samurai was gone. "Hey, where's that other guy who was with you in Saffron? Samurai, wasn't it?"

Nick nodded in agreement before pointing towards the other side of the island. "He's off training with his brother for some reason. They won't let me know." He explained before walking towards the water. "But, let me introduce you to my other friend." Nick reached the edge of the shore as he cupped his hands together. "Janine, come meet a few friends of Samurai and mine!"

Within a few seconds, a young girl in a purple one piece swimsuit was on the shore next to Nick. "So, who are they?" She asked before Nick pointed them out.

"This is Brock and this is Misty." Nick said as he pointed them out. "They both come from families that run gyms in Pewter and Cerulean City respectively. The two of them travel with a close friend of mine, Ash Ketchum." He explained before introducing Janine. "Misty, Brock, this is Janine. She's the daughter of Koga and is training to be a ninja just like the rest of her family." He explained.

"Nice to meet you." Janine said once the introductions were finished. "Um, is he okay?" She asked once she noticed Brock looked a little different from before.

Brock was now standing a little slouched as his knees buckled. His face also was a bit red and he had a goofy expression as well. "Janine! I may not be a ninja like you, but my love for you has made all the other women vanish from my sight!" He confessed as he dropped onto one knee.

As quickly as it had happened, the little outburst was stopped just as soon. "It's time for my hand to make you vanish as well!" Misty yelled at the lovesick breeder as she grabbed his ear and pulled him away.

"D-does he always do that?" Janine asked, confused over his sudden outburst.

"I don't know." Nick replied, just as confused, if not more than Janine. "I've only met him once in Saffron and he never acted that way. Sorry about that, but I'm heading back to my chair." Nick said before walking away, still trying to figure out what just happened.

Hours passed as Nick started to doze off before being awoken by another familiar voice. "Come on, Pikachu, Professor Westwood's lab should be nearby." The voice stated as he ran down the sidewalk. "Professor Oak said he could help us with our training."

"Huh, I thought I just heard Ash's voice." Nick muttered as he woke up. The trainer quickly sat up in his chair and noticed the person walking away from his chair. "It looks like Ash, but I thought he was at Pallet Town training." He asked himself before following after his friend.

"I wonder if this guy is as good as Professor Oak said he was?" Ash asked himself as he looked at his partner, Pikachu. "Well, if he wrote the entire pokedex, he must know something."

"Pika pi." The electric mouse cried out in agreement as it switched from Ash's left shoulder over to his right.

"You think so too, buddy." Ash said, scratching behind his best friend's ears. "I just wish we could find Brock and Misty first." He said, looking around for his two friends before he heard someone call out for him. "Huh? Did you hear that too, Pikachu?"

"Pika pika." Pikachu said as he looked around for the voice. Eventually, the duo noticed someone running down the sidewalk after them. Pikachu started to charge electricity up in its cheeks, unsure if they could trust the person.

"Hey, Ash, I didn't know you were here." Nick said once he caught up to them. He had stopped running once he reached Ash and was now bent over breathing heavily. Once the young trainer had caught his breathe, he started to speak again. "I ran into your friends a while ago, they told me you were training. So, why are you here, skipping out on your training to visit the beach?" He playfully teased his oldest friend.

"No, Professor Oak sent me here to help him. He told me about this guy, Professor Westwood." Ash started to explain as they started to walk again. "This guy is supposed to be a genius on pokemon. Professor Oak said that he programmed the pokedex with information on all the pokemon in Kanto."

"Okay, but what does this have to do with Professor Oak asking for help?" Nick asked, confused over why the Professor wouldn't just come here himself.

"Well, I guess he's having a hard time understanding why Slowpoke evolve when Shellder clamp onto their tails. I walked in on him studying about it and he asked me to come and visit this Professor Westwood to see if he had any answers about it." Ash explained as the duo reached a rather large building at the end of the road.

The building was on the beach and overlooked the ocean. It was a simple design with it being rectangular in shape with a cylinder pillar that rose up out of the center. The back wall that faced the ocean had a large glass window, allowing anyone to look out or into the building.

"I guess this must be the place." Nick muttered as they walked up to the door. "I wonder if anyone is home." He asked before knocking.

The duo stood there as they waited for an answer. From inside the building they could hear the sound of objects being knocked over and someone running down a hallway. To their surprise, a man dressed in a green button up shirt with a white lab coat over it answered the door. He was also wearing brown dress pants and a belt. On his head, he was starting to lose his hair as the top was bald, but he still had some gray hair on the sides. "Ahh, who have we here?" He asked once he noticed the two trainers.

* * *

"I can't believe the boss has us sitting out this mission." Cassidy complained as she dug in the sand. "And to make it worse, he has us digging for clams for his dinner with those losers." She said to her partner as she pointed over to three other people.

"Hey, Cassidy, it could be worse. We could always be them." Butch replied before laughing at the other people digging. "Imagine, everyday waking up and having to be either Jessie or James. I wouldn't be able to take it." He said while laughing at the two other members of Team Rocket

Over in the distance were three figures were digging through the sand looking for clams as well. "First the boss has us clean his Yacht, now we're digging for clams like a couple of clam diggers." A man in a white version of the Team Rocket uniform complained. He also wore a black undershirt and had blue hair that was parted to both sides so that it looked like an M.

"Quit complaining and keep digging until you hit some large clams!" A Meowth yelled out. To anyone else, it might have been surprising, but to the members of Team Rocket it was just like any other day. "If we don't find anything, he might make us take another pay cut. If we mess up again, we'll be fired."

"I have an idea, why don't we bury Meowth in the sand head first." The woman in their group stated. Her uniform was white like her partner's, but only went down to just above her stomach. She also wore a white skirt. She had crimson colored hair which reached all the way down her back in a curved manner.

The duo just looked at each other before hearing the joyful laughs coming from everyone else on the beach. Sighing, James started to swipe away at the ground in a ferocious manner. "Everyone is having fun here but us!" Eventually he managed to hit something rather large. "Jess, I think I just discovered a colossal clam."

With that, James reached into the ground as he pulled on whatever his clam rake had just struck. James pulled with all his might until finally the object was removed from the sand. Flying out of the ground and into the air was a Shellder while James fell backwards and onto the ground.

"Look, it's a Shellder." Jessie stated as the pokemon landed right in front of them.

"Shellder." The water type stated as it stuck its tongue out at the trio.

Meowth didn't enjoy having the pokemon stick its tongue out at him. "Oh, you're a wise guy huh. Don't you stick your tongue out at me you crummy crustation." He said to the pokemon with anger in his voice. "I know how to clam you up for good."

Before anyone else could do anything, James reached for a pokeball and threw it towards the Shellder. "Weezing, I choose you!" He yelled as the pokeball opened up to reveal his pokemon. After throwing the pokeball, he kept in his pose, his body twisted with his right arm up over his left shoulder. Almost as if he was throwing a baseball.

"You're acting like that twerp." Jessie muttered as she watched her partner battle the Shellder.

James quickly threw his hands behind his head and laughed. "Well, it always works for him, so why not try it out." He said jokingly before giving Weezing a command. "Weezing, use tackle attack!"

"Look, Cassidy, Jimmy must have finally snapped from seeing his face every morning. He's just clawing away at the ground." Butch said as he pointed at the frustrated James.

"Biff, don't you notice anything else going on over there. Something more important." Cassidy asked, growing upset over the fact that her partner didn't even notice that a pokemon battle was going on. They could have tried to steal that Shellder and given it to the boss.

"The name's Butch!" The man yelled before looking back over at the other Team Rocket members. "Oh, it looks like they found a Shellder." He muttered as he watched James' Weezing collide head first into the bivalve pokemon. "Why don't we just go and steal it from them." He said with an evil smile.

"I like the way you think Buzz." Cassidy replied as they slowly walked over there. The duo moved slowly as to make sure they were undetected. "A Shellder alone isn't that impressive, but if we manage to find a Slowpoke to go with it then we can evolve it into a Slowbro."

"Weezing, use your smog attack and then immediately tackle that Shellder!" James commanded as he watched the battle continue.

"Weezing, wee." The gas pokemon commented before a huge cloud of toxic fumes rolled out of its mouth. The fumes managed to engulf the water type, suffocating the pokemon and causing it to become lightheaded due to it. The bivalve pokemon wobbled back and forth before collapsing to the ground. Shellder tried to recollect itself, only to be met with a tackle from Weezing.

The two pokemon collided with each other with Weezing sending the wild Shellder flying backwards into the air. By the time the water type landed on its back, the pokemon had fainted from the battle.

"Alright, here's my chance." James muttered to himself as he reached for an empty pokeball off of his belt.

Apparently, everyone else had the same thought as the others all reached for their own pokeballs. "Pokeball, go!" The four Team Rocket agents yelled simultaneously. The four pokeballs soared through the air as three of them collided with each other.

"Hey, what's the big idea!" James yelled as he went and picked up his pokeball. "This was my battle, you had no right interfering!"

"Relax, Jimmy, did you forget that it's all fair in love and war." Butch teased as he picked up his pokeball as well. "That's our job, to steal pokemon from stupid and unsuspecting trainers. I guess you fall under that category."

"Unfortunately, you two losers win this time." Cassidy said as she picked up her pokeball. "It looks like my pokeball was knocked away as well. But, next time and every other time we will be ahead of you." She said, trying to intimidate her fellow agents. "I guess that's why we're the boss's favorites, we actually get the job done."

"Oh, I'm sorry but didn't your breeding center plan blow up in your faces and cost the boss a ton of money?" Jessie asked as she started to count their failed missions on her hands. "Plus your failed attempt to steal pokemon from both the Fuchsia City Gym and from the Day-Care Center. Those are three of the most well-known failures going through Team Rocket."

Seeing that they weren't going to win at the moment, Butch and Cassidy turned tail and walked back to their clam digging spot. "We'll show them who the best Team Rocket members are." Cassidy stated through grit teeth. "Butch, isn't there a nearby laboratory on this island?"

Butch pulled out a small computer from his back pocket. "The name's Butch, oh wait, that's what you said." Butch said, about to yell at his partner for getting his name wrong again. He then went back to looking up information on the Seafoam Islands. "It looks like there is a small lab located down the road from here. The only resident there is someone known as Professor Westwood."

"Perfect, where there's a lab, there must be rare and powerful pokemon." Cassidy said, raising a closed fist as she spoke. "We'll take all of his pokemon and give them to the boss. Then we'll show Jessie just how much the boss loves us."

As the group was arguing, no one paid attention to the fact that Jessie had actually caught the Shellder until after Butch and Cassidy left. "Hey, Jess, it seems that you actually caught the Shellder." Meowth noted as he picked up the pokeball and walked over towards Jessie. "Are you giving it to the boss?"

"Not yet." She replied as she grabbed the pokeball out of Meowth's paws. "I have a better idea. I once heard a rumor about how when a Shellder clamps down on a Slowpoke's tail it evolves into a Slowbro. The boss will be much more impressed by a Slowbro." She said, clipping Shellder's pokeball onto her belt.

"B-but, Jessie, that Shellder is mine. I found it and it was my Weezing that battled it. It should be mine." James complained to his partner, hoping that she would give him the pokemon.

"But, it was my pokeball that caught it so then that means it's mine." Jessie said as she started to walk away. "If you wanted it, then you should have had your pokeball hit it instead of the other pokeballs."

"Fine." James muttered as he hung his head due to his depression over losing a pokemon but was quickly snapped out of it. "Hey, Jessie, where are you heading?"

"To find a Slowpoke." She said, continuing to walk down the beach. "When we were cleaning the boss's Yacht, I saw this strange building with an older man in it. With him was a Slowpoke. So, we're going to go steal it."

* * *

"I see, so Professor Oak sent you here to help with his research." Professor Westwood stated as he walked down the halls of his lab. The walls were lined with books until they reached the back of the building. Once there, they noticed the back wall being made out of almost all glass. "You see, I've recently been studying Slowpoke. They truly are mysterious pokemon." He said while sitting down.

"Well, do you know any reason why Slowpoke need Shellder to clamp onto their tails?" Nick asked as he sat down on one of the chairs. "It just seems like a strange way to evolve."

'Unfortunately, no." Westwood stated with his arms crossed. "But, being the brightest member of my family I know that one day I'll figure it out. To help me with my research, a young trainer has been staying here recently with a Slowpoke of his own."

"So, why is he interested in Slowpoke so much?" Ash asked as he looked around the room, noticing the five portraits all labeled Westwood I-V. "If he's a trainer, shouldn't he be preparing for the upcoming League?"

"Well, he just showed up recently and wanted to know why Slowpoke are so slow." Westwood stated, placing his hand under his chin. "I started to explain that they are known as the dopey pokemon because of how dim-witted they are. Since then, he's been learning up on Slowpoke through my vast library of books."

Nick had a slight smile on his face once Westwood finished talking about the trainer. "His name wouldn't happen to be Nate, would it?" He asked, wondering if Nate was still here or had left already.

"Y-yes it is. How would you know that he was here?" Westwood asked, stumped as to how this trainer would know the name of the boy who was learning under him.

"Relax, Professor, they're friends of mine." A calm voice stated as a figure walked out of the hallway. He had a white T-shirt on with blue swim trunks and by his side was a Slowpoke. "Nick, Ash, what brings you guys here?" Nate asked as he joined the others.

* * *

"There's no point in sitting around here doing nothing." Samurai muttered to himself as he started to walk around the lower level of the cave. "I might as well try and find a way out of here and meet up with Endo at the top."

As the warrior was walking, he heard voices further down the cave. "This way, hurry up!" The voice yelled as the silhouette of three figures appeared on the wall as they ran down a passageway.

"We have to make sure it doesn't escape now that it has awoken." Another voice stated as now the silhouettes of pokemon could be seen following after the trainers.

"The boss will be excited once he learns that we found it deep within the caves." A third voice stated as the sound of footsteps stopped for a second. "To think, it just happened to wake up once we arrived in the caves. It must be our lucky day. Maybe the boss will promote us."

Samurai listened to the voices as they echoed off the wall. Eventually, the three figures and their pokemon had wandered too far down the passageways for Samurai to hear any more of their conversations. The warrior stood there as he tried to figure out what just happened. "I don't like the sound of that." He muttered under his breath as he decided what to do. "I only have Sandshrew on me, but if what those guys are doing is wrong, then I have to try and do something." Samurai said, deciding to follow the three figures deeper into the cave, but at a far enough distance.

* * *

 **Well, there is the new chapter. Sorry that it took so long. Just a lot of things came up recently. Like I've said before, School and work have taken a lot of time lately but with finals now over I should have a little free time to myself now. Also, the reason this chapter took the longest to write is because I just couldn't force myself to sit down and type it out or I just didn't like what I wrote. I typed this chapter at least four different times with myself not approving of any of them. Also, the poll is closed and the results were to continue uploading as I have been. Thank you to everyone who voted.**

 **Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter. Please leave a review letting me know how I did.**

 **Team:**

 **Nick- 7 badges:**

 **Eevee- swift, quick attack, dig, shadow ball**

 **Kingler- water gun, crabhammer, stomp, mud shot**

 **Charizard- flamethrower, ember, dragon tail, brick break**

 **Gastly- night shade, venoshock, hypnosis, dark pulse**

 **Hitmonchan- mach punch, agility, comet punch, thunder punch**

 **Dratini- Twister, Ice beam**

 **At Oak's:**

 **Beedrill- poison sting, fury attack, twinneedle, hyper beam**

 **Shellder**

* * *

 **Samurai- league exam badge:**

 **Pinsir- x-scissor, bulldoze, harden, revenge**

 **Venonat- supersonic, poison fang, confusion, signal beam**

 **Parasect- energy ball, stun spore, fury cutter, slash**

 **Sandshrew- Rollout, mud-slap, dig**

 **At home:**

 **Butterfree- aerial ace, sleep powder**

* * *

 **Janine- league exam badge:**

 **Venonat- psybeam, foresight,**

 **Golbat- wing attack, hypnosis, venoshock, shadow ball**

 **Grimer- flamethrower, poison jab, minimize, mud-slap**

 **Vulpix- ember, flame charge, attract, energy ball**


	44. The Evolution Solution

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Pokemon.**

* * *

"There's no point in sitting around here doing nothing." Samurai muttered to himself as he started to walk around the lower level of the cave. "I might as well try and find a way out of here and meet up with Endo at the top."

As the warrior was walking, he heard voices further down the cave. "This way, hurry up!" The voice yelled as the silhouette of three figures appeared on the wall as they ran down a passageway.

"We have to make sure it doesn't escape now that it has awoken." Another voice stated as now the silhouettes of pokemon could be seen following after the trainers.

"The boss will be excited once he learns that we found it deep within the caves." A third voice stated as the sound of footsteps stopped for a second. "To think, it just happened to wake up once we arrived in the caves. It must be our lucky day. Maybe the boss will promote us."

Samurai listened to the voices as they echoed off the wall. Eventually, the three figures and their pokemon had wandered too far down the passageways for Samurai to hear any more of their conversations. The warrior stood there as he tried to figure out what just happened. "I don't like the sound of that." He muttered under his breath as he decided what to do. "I only have Sandshrew on me, but if what those guys are doing is wrong, then I have to try and do something." Samurai said, deciding to follow the three figures deeper into the cave, but at a far enough distance.

As Samurai followed the trio deeper into the cave, the young trainer started to hear bits of their conversation again. "Yeah, there have been no sightings of Moltres at all."

"How about the third one, Zapdos?"

"It managed to escape us at the abandoned power plant." The third person stated as they took a left turn. "That's why it is necessary that we grab Articuno for the boss"

"So, these guys must be working for Team Rocket." Samurai whispered to himself as he moved closer to the group. As he walked, Samurai didn't pay attention to his surroundings and managed to slip on some ice. The warrior fell onto the ground, causing a loud thud that echoed through the cave.

"What was that?" One of the grunts asked once they heard the noise. "It sounded like it came from behind us."

Slowly, the three grunts turned around and noticed Samurai sitting on the ground and rubbing his behind. "Hey, kid, what do you think you're doing!?"

Samurai, seeing that he was caught decided there was only one thing left to do. Without any pokemon that truly listened to him, the young warrior swallowed his pride. "Who, me? I'm just lost." Samurai lied as he started to back up slowly. "I heard some voices and thought this was the exit. I guess I took a wrong turn, I'll just be heading back now."

"Not so fast." The third grunt stated as he reached for a pokeball. "I have a feeling you heard a little too much. Go, Arbok! Use your wrap attack on that kid." The Team Rocket member commanded as he tossed his pokeball.

The cobra pokemon slithered across the ground at lighting speed. Even to a trained warrior like Samurai, he had no time to react. Arbok quickly wrapped itself around the boy's body, making it impossible for him to move a muscle.

"Don't even try to escape." The grunt stated. "Arbok there has you in a tight grip. It's rarely used, just when it goes hunting. Its grip will tighten the more you squirm, so just relax."

* * *

"So, Nick, Ash, what brings you to Professor Westwood's house?" Nate asked as he joined them by sitting on a couch.

"Well, I'm just waiting for the next ship that is heading to Cinnabar Island." Nick answered truthfully as he stared out the window. "Everyone else wants to relax while we're here, but I just can't." He said, getting excited about his upcoming gym match.

"Alright, but Ash, why are you here? Last I heard from Ebony, you were training back at Pallet Town." Nate asked with a crooked head. "You just wanted a vacation, or is there more to this?"

Ash laughed at the remark about a vacation. "Well, I wanted to come once I heard that most of Pallet Town was coming for the day. But, I decided that it was best to stay back home and train. However, when I went to visit Professor Oak at his lab he seemed confused over something." Ash started to explain as a Slowpoke walked into the room. "He couldn't understand how the relation between Shellder and Slowpoke works. I offered to help and then he asked me if I could visit Professor Westwood and see if he had any answers."

"I see." Nate replied as he noticed Slowpoke walk into the room. "Speaking of, Slowpoke, look who finally made his way back inside."

"So, Nate, is this your Slowpoke?" Nick asked as he got right into the pokemon's face.

"Yeah, the same one from before." Nate replied while letting out a sigh. "The professor here is really helping us, but Slowpoke is really having a hard time battling. The only move it uses without delay is amnesia."

"Slow?" Slowpoke asked once he noticed the other people in the room. "Slowpoke." He yawned as he laid down to take a nap.

"See, all he does lately is fish over near the sea or sleeps." Nate stated as he pulled out Slowpoke's pokeball and returned the pokemon into it. "Even the professor is running out of ideas."

"Well, if you ask me, nothing is better than an actual pokemon battle." Ash said, pounding his fist down onto his open palm.

"Now you're talking." Nick said excitedly as he jumped up off the ground. "But, which of us gets to battle Nate?"

Professor Westwood walked forward and stood between the two trainers. "There is only one scientifically proven way to choose who should battle Nate." He stated, gaining everyone's attention. "A game of rock-paper-scissors."

The professor's answer was not what the others expected and caused them to fall to the ground due to their shock. "That's the best way to decide?" Ash asked, getting up off the ground.

"Well, if it's the only way." Nick muttered as he walked right in front of Ash. "Ready when you are."

Both trainers extended their hands out and started to shake them up and down. "One, two, three!" They both yelled as they launched their hands open, revealing them to have both picked paper.

"I-it's a tie." Westwood stated as he stared at the hands. "I guess we'll just have to do it again. I never thought it would end in a tie, in all my years of playing this game never once have I tied with anyone." He said, muttering the last part so only he could hear it.

"One, two, three!" Both trainers yelled again as they chose their options again. This time, they had both picked rock having expected the other to pick scissors.

"A-another tie?" Westwood stated, starting to grow suspicious of their gameplay. "Everything I know about this game is a lie" He muttered out loud before regaining his composure. "Alright, once more. If you somehow cause another tie, which is highly unlikely, then we'll flip a coin." Proposed the professor as he grabbed a coin out of his lab coat.

The two trainers faced each other once more, fire in both their eyes. Both of them were determined to win this game. "One! Two! Three!" They slowly chanted as their hands moved up and down with the count. Both trainers opened their hands, revealing that they both had picked paper once again.

"Im-impossible. This game breaks every law of science." Professor Westwood stated as he started to sweat from seeing three consecutive ties. "You two must have cheated."

"Relax professor, they just know each other really well." Nate said, trying to relax the professor. He then leaned towards his fellow Pallet Town trainers and whispered to them. "By the way, Westwood here is a little eccentric."

"Alright, since you two have broken nearly every law of science that I know of, we are going to settle this with a coin toss." Westwood explained as he tossed the coin into the air. "If the coin lands heads up, then Ash will battle. But, if it lands tails up, then Nick will battle." The four men watched as the coin spun around in the air before landing on the ground. Once on the ground, the coin started to spin until coming to a stop and landing on tails. "There it settles it, Nick will battle."

"Couldn't we have just done that from the beginning?" Nick whispered to Ash, who merely nodded in agreement.

The group of four walked down the same hallway Nate appeared from before walking out of a small wooden door at the end of the hallway. They then slowly took their time as they walked out onto the beach.

"So, what are we going for?" Nick asked as he reached for his pokeballs. "A one-on-one, two-on two, or a three-on-three?"

Nate reached for two of his own pokeballs as he thought over the decision. "I guess a two-on-two will be fine. That way I can show Slowpoke what it's like to be in a real battle. He'll watch the first battle before taking part in the second." He explained as he reached for Slowpoke's pokeball. Slowpoke, come on out!"

Nate then tossed the pokeball into the air and watched as Slowpoke slowly emerged from it. The dopey pokemon landed in front of its trainer with a perplexed expression on its face. "Slowww?" It asked, looking around at its surroundings.

Nate bent over so that he was now at eye level with the pokemon before talking. "We're going to be battling today." He began to talk, trying to make Slowpoke pay attention to him. "I want you to watch the first battle closely, the League is right around the corner and I really want to use you in it. But, if you don't learn to properly listen to commands then I don't think I'll be able to."

"Slow?" The dopey pokemon replied as it tilted its head in confusion. It appeared that Slowpoke was still confused over where it actually was. After a few minutes, the water type turned around and noticed Nick holding onto a pokeball. "Slowpoke, slow." Slowpoke finally stated, showing that it had a slight understanding of the situation.

"Yeah, now you see what's going on." Nate stated as he noticed Slowpoke staring at Nick with what appeared to be a determined look. Before he could even say another word, Slowpoke slowly walked away from the battlefield as it sat down behind Nate. "Alright! Now we're ready, Marowak, come on out!"

The ground type appeared in a flash of white light as the pokeball opened. The bone keeper pokemon preformed a front flip in midair before landing on the battlefield with its club pulled back and ready to be swung at any opposition.

"Hey, a Marowak. I wonder what Dexter has to say about it." Ash muttered to himself as he pulled out his trusty pokedex and pointed it at the ground type.

"Marowak, the Bone Keeper Pokémon. Small and weak, this Pokémon is adept with its bone club. It is used skillfully like a boomerang against its opponents." The pokedex read before Ash placed it back into his pocket.

 _So, he's using a ground type. I could use Kingler, but where's the fun in an uneven type advantage? I know exactly who to use._ Nick thought to himself as he reached for a pokeball. "Dratini, I choose you!" He yelled as he tossed the pokeball forward.

Out of the pokeball appeared a sleeping Dratini. The dragon pokemon slowly uncoiled itself before letting out a loud yawn. "Dratini?" It asked itself, confused over where it had awoken at. The dragon type slithered over to Nick before giving its trainer a puzzled look.

"That's a Dratini! Let's see what Dexter has on this pokemon." Ash wondered as he pulled out his pokedex once more.

"Dratini, the Dragon Pokémon. Dratini shed its skin as it grows, often doing so while hidden behind large powerful waterfalls." The pokedex explained as Ash watched the pokemon adjust to its surroundings.

"We're just going to be training for a little, Dratini." Nick told his pokemon before they both faced the field again. "After this I'll give you a nice bath." Nick promised as the dragon pokemon cried out in joy.

"Now that we're all ready, let's start." Nate said before throwing his left arm forward. "Marowak, use your bonemerang attack!"

"Maro!" The bone keeper pokemon cried out before twirling the bone in between its fingers. "Marowak!" It yelled out before throwing the spinning bone straight at Dratini. The spinning projectile was about to hit Dratini head on, but the dragon pokemon managed to duck underneath the bone.

Seeing an opening, Nick decided to attack immediately before Nate could react. "Great job, Dratini. Now, use an ice beam attack!"

"Tini!" The dragon type cried out as it started to shoot out the attack. However, to its and its trainer's surprise, it was struck in the back of the head by the bonemerang. Dratini's momentum caused its head to point right down at the ground, freezing its body right to the ground.

"B-but, how!?" Nick called out, he was unsure of how Dratini was hit. "We dodged it cleanly, there was no way we could be hit."

Nate stood there with his hands behind his head. "Yeah, about that. You see, because of Marowak spinning the bone at the rate he did it acted like a boomerang. Even though you dodged it the first time, it still hit you during its return." He stated, helping to explain what just happen.

"No problem at all then." Nick said as he calmed down. He then thought over the situation before calling out the next command. "Okay, Dratini, use agility to increase your speed!"

Dratini looked ready to move forward, but when it tried to lunge forward it couldn't move. "Dratini?" It asked in confusion as it tried with all its might to move its body. No matter how much effort was put into moving, Dratini just couldn't budge itself. The dragon pokemon finally gave up before giving its trainer a confused look.

Nick looked just as confused as Dratini. Looking around at the field, the young trainer tried to figure out what was happening. After a few seconds, a bright light on the field caught his attention. Getting a closer look at the field, Nick noticed exactly what was wrong. "It's no use, Dratini! You're frozen in place." He explained to his pokemon before trying to think of something. "I guess when you tried using an ice beam and were hit in the head, you accidently froze your body to the ground."

 _Okay, this is actually going pretty well._ Nate thought to himself before facing Slowpoke. "See, Slowpoke, this is how a battle actually happens. When I give a command, you're supposed to react immediately. Now, Marowak, use headbutt!"

"Marowak." It stated before charging at Dratini. The bone keeper pokemon was on a collision course with the dragon pokemon. Once the ground type was within a few feet from Dratini, it accidently slipped on the icy ground. After slipping on the ice, Marowak quickly performed a graceful landing as he landed on his right knee before pushing off of his back leg. The ground type's hard skull connected right with Dratini's stomach, causing enough pressure for the dragon pokemon to be freed from its icy trap.

Seeing its chance, Dratini wrapped its body all around Marowak's face causing the ground type to lose his sight. Marowak tried to shake Dratini off of its head, but was unsuccessful in its attempts and ended up running right into Westwood's building.

"Dratini, are you alright!?" Nick called out, unsure if the dragon pokemon had been shaken up too much from the collision.

The dragon pokemon slowly slithered up off of the ground and was panting heavily now. There were a few marks and bruises on its body from the collision and with the exception of its conditioning it seemed fine.

"Great! Quick, use dragon tail while Marowak is in front of you!" He called out with enthusiasm. Nick was starting to get into this as he leaned in close with both of his fists clenched in front of his body.

"Dratini, tini." The dragon pokemon stated before its tail started to glow green and grow scaly. In one swift movement, Dratini performed a front flip so that its tail came from overhead before striking Marowak right in its skull. The ground type immediately was recalled back into its pokeball causing Nate to be confused.

Seeing the confusion on his friend's face, Nick decided to explain. "Dragon tail is a move where if it makes contact, the opposing pokemon is sent back into its pokeball and a new pokemon is randomly chosen to replace it in battle."

Nate nodded at the explanation, starting to understand it a little. "Alright, that means you're up now, Slowpoke!" He called out as he pointed at the field and waited for Slowpoke to walk out there. After a minute passed and there was still no sign of Slowpoke, Nate looked behind himself to see what was up. "Slowpoke, it's your turn to battle." He said, only to be surprised by what he saw. In front of him was his Slowpoke fast asleep with its tail sitting in the water. "Slowpoke! This isn't the time to sleep, we have a battle to take part in!"

Nick couldn't help but laugh at the sight. "Hey, Nate! I think this is where we call an end to our battle. When Slowpoke wakes up we can continue if you'd like." He said before raising Dratini's pokeball. "Dratini, return!" A red light connected with Dratini as the dragon pokemon was recalled back into its pokeball. "You did great today. Now, it's time for your bath like I promised."

The young trainer then looked back at the local Professor before asking his question. "Excuse me, Professor Westwood, but do you have any baths within your home?"

"Umm, well yeah." The professor responded as he pondered the strange answer. "Why, do you need to clean up?"

Nick sheepishly placed his hand behind his head as he gave a genuine smile. "Not exactly. You see, my Dratini really enjoys cleanliness and I promised it could get a nice bath after the battle."

"Oh, I see." Westwood responded, still seeming a little confused over the situation. "Well, go back through the door, follow the hallway back into the main room and then take a right. It'll be the first door on your left." He said, trying to draw a map with his fingers as he gave Nick the directions.

"Thank you, I'll try not to make too much of a mess!" He yelled over his shoulder as he walked through the door. "Now, I just need to find the bathroom." He muttered to himself, completely unaware of the others in the room right next to him. Remembering what the professor told him, Nick sprinted down the hallway before taking a right and entered the first door on his left.

"That was close Cassidy. I thought he was going to come in here!" Butch cried out before sighing out of relief. "Imagine what would have happened if he found us."

Cassidy immediately slapped her partner over the head for his idiotic comment. "Nothing would have happened because we would have made sure he stayed quiet." She stated before exiting the room. "Come on, we've been through half the building without any signs of pokemon being here. I'm starting to think this is a waste of time."

In the next room over, three more people were searching through the building as well. "Jessie, can we take a break, I'm hungry. We've been searching through this building for a while now and there is no sign of a Slowpoke." James cried out in annoyance as his stomach let out a loud grumble.

"Tell your stomach to shut it until we find that Slowpoke." Jessie replied as she slapped her partner over the head. "We won't stop until we find that Slowpoke even if it takes us all week." Jessie continued on until her stomach rumbled. "Then again, it doesn't hurt to search on a full stomach. Maybe a lunch break is best."

Before another word could be said, both Team Rocket members felt the sensation of sharp claws run against their faces. "Will you two keep quiet! Your big stomachs will give us away!" He yelled out before his own stomach let out a rumble.

"We're the loud ones!?" Jessie argued back before punching the cat pokemon in the head for ruining her face. "That's for scratching up my beautiful face. Do you know how hard it is to look this wonderful?" She asked the others, only to receive no response. "That's what I thought. Now, let's see what this guy keeps in his fridge." She stated before walking out of the room.

* * *

"Kid, there's no reason to continue fighting it. There is no way you're going to escape Arbok's grip." The grunt stated as they pushed the struggling Samurai forward and followed behind him.

"You're lucky," The second grunt began before flashing Samurai a smile. "Normally we'd get rid of you immediately, but this time we're going to need your help."

"Who says that I'm even going to help you?" Samurai replied before spitting in their direction. "I know how Team Rocket is. There is no way I'd ever help you."

The first grunt walked up to Samurai and lifted him off the ground by his shirt. "Listen here kid, if you know what's good for you, you'd better do what we tell you to. Understand?" He said, continuing to hold the trainer off the ground.

"That's enough." A calm voice stated as a fourth man walked out of the shadows. He had purple hair which was almost like a Mohawk if it wasn't for the rest of the hair on his head. His uniform also looked a little better than the grunts' uniforms as his had yellow stripes running down the sides.

"Ad-admin Petrel!" The grunts cried out before lining up before their higher-up.

"W-what brings you here? I thought you were working on something else at the moment?" The second grunt asked, trying to keep his nervousness out of his voice.

"Relax," Petrel started with before waving his hand in front of them. "I'm not here to yell. The boss sent me here to help since in his eyes, it was 'taking too long'. If you get what I mean." He explained, even making air quotes when quoting their boss. He then walked over to the restrained Samurai and lifted the trainer's head with his hand. "Now, have you ever heard the rumors about Articuno? It's believed that it will help any lost traveler and it just so happens we found a lost trainer." He explained, giving Samurai a sly look.

Samurai shook his head free from Petrel's grasp. "As if I'd help. I'd rather die than let you get your hands on Articuno."

"Haha." Petrel laughed at the reply before lifting a pokeball off of his belt. "You think you actually have a choice. Golbat, I want you to clean this boy's face off." He said as the pokeball opened up to reveal the bat pokemon.

In one swift motion, Golbat's tongue extended outwards as it covered Samurai's face in Saliva. Following the cleaning, Golbat was immediately returned to its pokeball.

"Wh-what happ-," Samurai began to say, only to be unable to continue speaking. The trainer continued to try and talk only for it to be useless.

"Oh, you didn't know about the venom in a Golbat?" Petrel asked childishly as he walked behind Samurai. "It's well known that once strong enough, the venom can temporarily make a person blind and paralyze your vocal cord if swallowed." He motioned for Arbok to be returned to its pokeball and once it was, Petrel shoved Samurai into the nearby stream. "But don't worry, you'll be dead before the effects wear off!"

Petrel immediately turned around and faced the grunts. "Is the tracker working?" He asked and waited for an answer. Once getting an affirmative from the grunts he spoke again. "Good. Pay attention to it. Where ever he ends up is the most likely location of Articuno." He said before following the stream in the direction Samurai was pulled in.

 _This isn't good. I can't see anything at all, I have no clue where I'm heading._ The warrior thought to himself as he felt the force of the stream pulling him deeper into the cave. Samurai struggled to stay above the water as he fought with the water's current. _I guess this is where it ends._ He thought to himself as his body was pulled under the water.

Just as Samurai was giving up hope, he felt someone grab him by his shirt and drag him out of the water. Once on dry land, Samurai rolled over onto his back as he gasped for air. Out of reaction, Samurai sat up and started to look around to thank the person who saved him from before, but couldn't see anything due to his temporary blindness.

"Gol, golduck." His rescuer stated as it patted the boy on the back letting him know that everything was alright. The water type stood there for a minute, staring intently down the cave as if he could hear something approaching.

Samurai could hear a strange cry, one he had never heard before. He wished that he could see whatever was in front of him, but his blindness was still in effect. The warrior could only sit there as he heard Golduck and the new creature arguing. _This must be Articuno. Wait! Articuno, it has to get out of here!_ He thought to himself as he tried to figure out a way to warn the legendary bird.

"Gol, golduck. Gol!" The wild Golduck cried out as it pointed down into the cave. The water type was trying to warn Articuno about the members of Team Rocket coming after it.

"Cunnnnooooo!" The majestic bird argued back as it pointed a wing at the young boy. There was no way it would leave this lost and injured traveler in this state. The ice type firmly planted its feet into the ground, showing that it wasn't going to budge.

Samurai couldn't just sit there and do nothing. Knowing that it wouldn't work, the trainer tried to call out to Articuno. "Arti... cun.. o. R-run." He managed to say. His voice was extremely hoarse and his throat was killing him from speaking. "I-I-I'm f...ine." He stated weakly as he stood up.

Articuno, seeing that the boy was able to stand up on his own felt better for the traveler." Cunooooo!" It cried out as it started to flap its wings. The legendary pokemon was about to take flight when it felt pain run throughout its entire body. "Cunooo!" The ice type cried out in pain as electricity ran through its body.

"Keep struggling." Petrel stated as he walked out of the shadows with his three grunts. "The more you move the more electricity is released from that net. This is a special net created by Team Rocket scientists, able to withstand any pokemon that is caught within it." He said before facing Samurai. "And you, I truly must thank you for all of your help today. Without you, we never would have found Articuno. Now, we'll be taking our prize."

The admin turned towards the captured Articuno, but couldn't move any closer as Golduck was standing between Team Rocket and the captured Articuno. "Duckkk." It growled as his face became dead serious. It glared down all of the Team Rocket members standing in front of him. "Golduck, gol!" It yelled out as he formed an orb of water in his hands before firing it at the grunts.

Petrel managed to jump away from the blast, but his three grunts were caught in it and blown backwards. "Well, if it's a fight you want, it's a fight you'll get!" He yelled as he tossed a pokeball which opened to show a Koffing. "Koffing, use gyro ball!"

Koffing started to spin at an incredible speed as a purple ring formed around the outside of its body. The spinning Koffing then shot off in the direction of Golduck, colliding right into the water type and knocking him over.

Golduck quickly got back up onto his feet, only to be struck in the back by the spinning Koffing. Golduck crashed down into the ground as it was constituently bombarded by the attack.

Golduck clawed at the ground as he forced himself to stand up again. Seeing Koffing come right at it again, Golduck opened its mouth and let out a piercing cry. "Golduckkkkk!" The sound echoed through the cave, causing everyone to cover their ears from the noise. It was so load, that even Koffing stopped its attack. Seeing an opening, Golduck grinned before clawing away at the poison gas pokemon.

Its claws swiped away at Koffing, leaving claw marks all over its body, but it seemed unaffected by the attack.

"My, is that your best?" Petrel jokingly asked before pointing at Koffing. "Use sludge!"

Koffing started to inflate itself a little as more and more claw marks formed on its body. Finally, it reached its maximum size and shot out a trail of poisonous liquid right into Golduck's eyes.

"Golduck!" It cried out as he tried to remove the sludge. At the moment, the sludge was blurring his vison and he couldn't see Koffing at all. As he wiped away at the liquid, the water type felt something ram right into its stomach, knocking it out cold.

"That was too easy." Petrel stated as he started to walk over towards the unconscious Golduck. "You sure are strong for a wild pokemon. You'll do great for Team Rocket." He stated with a grin before tossing Golduck over near his unconscious grunts.

Samurai growled at the Team Rocket Admin as he reached for a pokeball. "Sand...shrew, u...se mud-slap." He said before a coughing fit occurred.

The pokeball opened to reveal the fun loving pokemon rolled up into a ball once again. Once he uncurled, Sandshrew saw the situation that his trainer was in. The ground type looked around and saw his trainer coughing on the ground while four people stared back at him. "Sandshrew!" It cried out as it started to shoot mud at everyone in the area, including Samurai.

"D-don't hit... me." He stated before washing the mud off his face. The water had a cooling feeling on his face as his throat didn't feel like it was on fire anymore. "Hey, I can speak again." Samurai stated as he continued to wash his face off with the water.

"So, it appears you washed away the venom from your throat." Petrel stated as he wiped the mud off of his face. "Too bad you're still blind. Koffing, use your tackle attack."

"Sandshrew, counter with rollout!"

Sandshrew curled up into a ball before rocketing off at Koffing. The pokemon collided midway as they tried to push the other backwards. Seeing that Samurai's idea wasn't working, Sandshrew backed down from the fight and started to roll around on the ground.

"Sandshrew, now isn't the time to play around!" Samurai cried out when he saw what the ground type was doing. "Take this seriously, Articuno is in trouble."

Sandshrew however paid no attention to its trainer and instead did its own thing. This included rolling around the floor in a similar pattern, as if he was bored.

"I guess this will be the end of our little battle." Petrel stated before flinging his arm forward. "Koffing, use a tackle attack!"

Koffing charged right at Sandshrew, but unlike last time, the poison gas pokemon merely bounced off of Sandshrew and was sent flying into the ceiling.

"Huh, what just happened?" Samurai asked no one specific, but watched on in confusion of how Koffing could do no damage to Sandshrew. After watching for a while, Samurai picked up on Sandshrew's plan. _I get it. He's picking up speed by continually rolling around in the one area without any ice or water. This way his rollout also gains strength, making it strong enough to push back Koffing._

Koffing was starting to grow tired from its constantly failing barrage of tackles. The poison gas pokemon started to pant as it backed away from Sandshrew. "Koff, koffing. Koff." The poison type panted as it watched Sandshrew continue rolling around.

Koffing was about to lunge forward once more, only to be struck in the back. Looking behind itself, Koffing noticed the Golduck from before standing up again.

Golduck was panting heavily as it stood over the three grunts. In its right hand an orb of water was forming before being flung right at Koffing. The water pulse struck directly, causing the Koffing to flinch.

Golduck stared right at Samurai as if telling him to attack. Despite being blind, Samurai could tell he was given an opening and decided to use it now. "Sandshrew, use rollout on Koffing!" The trainer called out with all the energy he had left in him.

In a split second, Sandshrew changed directions as it flew up into the air after rolling off of a large rock sticking out of the ground. The ground type managed to collide with Koffing while the pokemon was still shocked from the previous attack and struck it with all of its force.

Koffing was sent flying back into its trainer's arms, having fainted from the last attack. "Hmm, you think that you've won after knocking out one of my pokemon? Golbat, let's go and use wing attack!" He yelled as he tossed out a second pokeball.

Standing before Sandshrew was the same Golbat that blinded Samurai for the time being. The bat pokemon was about to charge at Sandshrew with its glowing wings, but a voice caught everyone's attention.

"Samurai! Are you over this way!?" Endo called out as he walked through the cave. "Samurai, where are you!? Yell back if you can hear me!"

Petrel growled at the voice. "So, you had more friends with you. It's best to retreat for today. It's your lucky day kid, but next time I won't be so forgiving. By the way, the venom can be cancelled out by washing it away with water." He said before grabbing Golbat's leg.

"You're not getting away that easily!" Samurai yelled out as he tried to follow Petrel's voice.

"Golbat, use haze!" Petrel ordered as Golbat flew up into the air.

Golbat opened its mouth as a cloud of black smoke flowed out of it, making everything impossible to see. Samurai out of reaction started to look around for them, but he still couldn't see anything yet.

As Samurai continued to listen for Golbat, Endo's voice started to grow louder and louder so he decided to answer. "Endo, I'm over here!" Samurai yelled back to his brother. "But, first, I have to free Articuno." Samurai stated as he felt around for the net.

Once he found the device, Samurai felt around for the legendary bird. "That's strange. O could have sworn I heard it here earlier. It's not like it can just disappear." The trainer muttered, unaware of the fact that Golduck had set the ice type free immediately following Petrel's escape.

* * *

"So, you ran into Team Rocket?" Endo asked as he tied up the knocked out grunts. "And you handled them all on your own? Is there anything you're leaving out?"

"No, nothing at all." Samurai said as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Of course, I wouldn't have been able to do it without Golduck. He proved himself to be extremely strong." He explained, making sure to leave out the part about Articuno.

"Golduck!" The water type cried out, crossing his arms over his chest. The duck pokemon then walked up to Samurai before tugging on his shirt.

"Hey, Samurai, it looks like Golduck is trying to get your attention." Endo remarked as he finished tying up the grunts.

"Is that true, Golduck?" Samurai asked as he reached for his returned pokeballs. Upon receiving a head nod, Samurai backed up to give them space. "Alright then, Pinsir, fight by my side!" He yelled, tossing the pokeball into the air.

The pokeball spun around as it opened up in front of Golduck. Standing before the water type was Samurai's trusted partner. "Pinsir!" It cried out as he crossed his arms over his chest.

Before either Samurai or Pinsir could react, Golduck had already swiped its claws across the stag beetle's face. The attack caught Pinsir by surprise, causing the bug type to be pushed backwards and landed on his back.

"Pinsir, are you alright!?" Samurai called out as he watched his partner get back onto his feet. "Ok, use revenge!"

Pinsir charged at the water type with lightning speed. Within a second, the stag beetle pokemon was right in Golduck's face, letting a smirk cross his face before punching him right in the gut.

"Gollll..." The water type muttered as he tried to regain his composure. Thinking fast, Golduck jumped backwards before firing off a water pulse.

"Quick, use harden!" Samurai called out as Pinsir readied himself.

The bug type crossed his arms in front of his chest like an X. He then flashed a bright white before his body became stiff. The orb of water blasted Pinsir in the chest, pushing him backwards very slightly, but provided little damage.

"Now, let's see how our training has gone, use earthquake!" Samurai cried out as Pinsir nodded in agreement.

Pinsir stomped his foot hard into the ground, causing the surrounding area to shake uncontrollably from the force. Seeing that it was working, Pinsir lifted his foot before slamming it back down onto the ground, causing an indent.

By now, Golduck could barely stand as he held onto a nearby rock for support. Seeing an opening, Samurai reached for an empty pokeball as he quickly tossed it forward. "Pokeball, go!"

The ball flew across the sky until it collided with the water type. Within a second, Golduck was sucked into the pokeball as it started to shake back and forth endlessly. After about four shakes, the pokeball came to a stop as it signaled that Golduck was caught.

Samurai let out a small sigh as he walked over to the pokeball. "You fought hard. It's a trait I like for in pokemon, hard battlers who leave everything out on the field." He muttered before clipping the object back onto his belt, replacing it in his hand with Pinsir's pokeball. "Good work today, Pinsir. Take a nice rest." Samurai stated as Pinsir was recalled into his pokeball.

"Samurai, I think we should head back to the city side of the island." Endo said as he picked up the three grunts. "Even though your eye sight is starting to return you need to rest, especially after today." He said, smiling at his brother. "But, when we get back to the city, I'm going to stay on the island for a while longer. Who knows if Team Rocket will try anything else."

* * *

"So, Dratini, does this feel nice and relaxing?" Nick asked as he gave the dragon type a massage while it sat in the water. "You deserve this after all your hard work lately. You really have improved quite a bit." Nick praised the newest member of his team.

"Draitiniiii!" It cried out in joy once Nick started to rub the center of its back. As Nick worked his way down Dratini's backside, the dragon pokemon couldn't help but cry out even more.

"Gosh, Dratini. I knew you liked these massages, but I didn't think you liked them this much." The young trainer joked before laughing at his pokemon.

Not in the mood for being laughed at, Dratini lowered his tail into the water before splashing Nick right in the face with the bath water.

"Dratini! That was uncalled for. Look at me, now I'm covered in suds." Nick cried out as he reached for a towel, only to be splashed once again. "Alright, I get it. I won't joke around right now, just please stop with the splashing." Nick pleaded as he held the towel in front of his body, trying to block as much soap and water as he could.

Seeing that it had won, Dratini lowered itself into the warm water. While lowering itself, the dragon pokemon let out a cry of joy until just its head was above the water.

* * *

Elsewhere in the lab, Jessie, James and Meowth were ransacking the kitchen until they heard a noise from the other side of the door. "James, please tell me that noise is coming from your stomach."

"Jessie, I thought that noise was your stomach." James replied before clutching his head, having been hit by his partner. "Oww, what was that for?"

"Both of you keep quiet!" Meowth yelled out as he dragged them away from the area. "It sounds like whoever is there is about to come in this room. We'll be fine if we just stay hidden until they leave."

Just like Meowth believed, two figures walked into the room. "Butch, I can't believe that you want to take a lunch break now of all times!" Cassidy yelled as she followed her partner to the fridge.

"Stop yelling, Cassidy. If I remember right, your stomach growled just as loud as mine." Butch replied back as he stuck his head into the fridge.

"Look, it's Cassidy and Biff." James muttered before his mouth was covered up by Meowth.

Unfortunately, James' one slip up was overheard by the other members of Team Rocket. "Hey! Whoever else is in here, come on out. Otherwise things might get messy!"

"Yeah, and apologize to me about my name!" Butch yelled as he threw a sandwich onto the ground out of anger. "I'll say it slowly for you. My... name... is... Butch!"

The two waited for an answer, but the only response was the sound of clapping. "Very well, but you should prepare for trouble." Jessie stated as she walked out of her hiding spot.

"And make it double." James added in as he pulled out a rose.

"To protect the world from devastation."

"To unite all peoples within our nation!"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now or prepare to fight!"

"Meowth! That's right!" Meowth added in at the very end as he stood on James' shoulders.

Cassidy and Butch stared at the three Team Rocket members before them and couldn't help but laugh. "We thought it might have been security. But now that we know it's just you three losers, there's nothing to worry about." Cassidy stated as she walked right up to Jessie.

"Yeah, besides, you two continue to get the motto wrong every time you say it." Butch stated as he walked up to James. "Ready to put these two in their place?

"Prepare for trouble." Cassidy said.

"And make it double." Butch added.

"To infect the world with devastation."

"To blight all people in every nation."

"To denounce the goodness of truth and love."

"To extend our wrath to the stars above."

"Cassidy."

"And Butch, of course."

"We're Team Rocket, circling Earth all day and night."

"Surrender to us now or you will surely lose the fight." Butch finished. During the whole time the duo spoke, they had switched off every line.

"Ughh! You idiots, that doesn't even sound right!" Jessie yelled at her two fellow operatives. "Why would the Boss have us say that!" She argued, getting right into Cassidy's face.

"Why would he have us say 'protect the world from devastation!'? We're trying to take over the world!" Cassidy argued back, getting right into Jessie's face as well.

Unknown to the members of Team Rocket, their current yelling match off had gained the attention of everyone on the property.

"Huh, what was that yelling?" Nick asked as he continued to wash Dratini. "Sorry, Dratini, but you're bath is getting cut short today. I think there's something we need to check up on."

Dratini moaned as he sat in the water, not moving an inch. The dragon pokemon was going to finish its bath or it wasn't moving at all.

"Alright, time to get out." Nick said playfully as he lifted Dratini out of the bath tub. The dragon type squirmed around as he tried to get himself loose from Nick's grasp. "Hey, take it easy. We just have to check on that noise." He explained as he held Dratini in his arms.

"Will you four knock it off!" Meowth yelled, clawing each member's face. "There is no way they didn't hear you!" He explained before being kicked. Meowth was sent flying, crashing into a pile of cans. "Well, if they didn't hear us before, they've heard us now."

"Now, I'm certain that noise came from in here." Nick could be heard saying from behind the door. The door knob started to turn slowly before opening to reveal Nick on the other side with Nate, Ash and Professor Westwood.

"Team Rocket!" Ash yelled at the group standing in the kitchen. "What do you think you're doing here!?"

"Pika pi." Pikachu said, electricity flowing through its cheeks.

"Prepare for trouble." Jessie stated as she walked out of her hiding spot.

"And make it double." James added in as he pulled out a rose.

"To infect the world with devastation." Cassidy interrupted as she shoved Jessie out of the way.

"To blight all people in every nation." Butch said, doing the same as Cassidy but to James.

"To protect the world from devastation." Jessie argued while getting right in Cassidy's face.

"To unite all peoples within our nation!" James yelled as he shoved Butch back.

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"To denounce the goodness of truth and love." Cassidy said, pushing back against Jessie as the duo continued their stare down.

"To extend our wrath to the stars above." Butch finished as he got right in James' face.

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now or prepare to fight!"

"Meowth! That's right!" Meowth added in at the very end.

"Cassidy."

"And Butch, of course."

"We're Team Rocket, circling Earth all day and night."

"Surrender to us now or you will surely lose the fight." Butch finished. During the whole time the duo spoke, they had switched off every line.

The group of four looked at the five Team Rocket members with a look of confusion on their faces. "So, which version is correct?" Westwood asked sheepishly as he scratched the back of his head.

"Our motto is correct!" All four of them yelled back, only to stare down their opposite. "No, ours is!" They yelled at each other now.

"I don't care who's is right. What are you guys doing here?" Nick asked as Dratini slithered up his arm.

"Well, we're here to steal strong and valuable pokemon like that Dratini there." Cassidy stated as she eyed Dratini with an interested look. "Now be a good boy and hand it over." She said before being pushed out of the way.

"Listen here, Twerps." Jessie said as she moved in front of the other Team Rocket agents. "We're here for all the pokemon in the lab, but we'll take yours while we're at it." She said before being pulled onto the ground by Cassidy.

"No way!" Nick said as he backed away. "Nate, Ash, we should be able to take them." Nick stated as he pulled out a pokeball.

Seeing a fight about to break out, Professor Westwood jumped in front of the young trainers. "No, please. You can't battle in my lab, you might break something. Let's lead them outside first." He explained before starting to run out of the house, followed by the other three.

"Ash, how do you know these guys?" Nate asked as he ran down the hallway.

"They're a group of pokemon thieves that are always after my Pikachu." Ash said as they turned the corner and could now see the door leading outside. "They follow me around looking for a chance to steal him."

"Well, we can't let that happen now can we." Nate replied back as he swung open the door to the outside. "Now, we just wait for them."

"But, won't they steal the pokemon inside the lab?" Nick asked as Dratini slid off of his arm.

"Oh, don't worry about that." Westwood said as he walked through the doors panting. "I don't have a single pokemon to my name anymore. Before, I'd catch one of every pokemon I could find so that I could study it. Once I was done, I'd give them away to trainers on the island. But now that I'm older, I leave the research part up to my assistants."

Shortly after, the five Rocket members walked out the door, pokeballs raised. "Go!" They all yelled as the four pokeballs opened up to reveal an Arbok, Weezing, Primeape and Raticate. "Attack!" They yelled as the pokemon charged at the group.

"Pikachu, use a thunderbolt attack on them." Ash told his trusty partner.

Pikachu jumped off of Ash's shoulder as electricity built up inside of its body. Once on the ground, Pikachu focused on releasing the attack as electricity shot out of his body. "Pika chuuu!" It cried out, followed by the blast of electricity shocking Arbok and Weezing.

"Dratini, use on the others!" Nick commanded as the dragon type swung its tail as a twister was created. The twister moved straight for Raticate and Primeape as it managed to suck the duo up into it.

"Now, it's our turn." Nate said as he grabbed a pokeball. "Ivysaur, I choose you!" He cried out, but before he could toss it, another one of his pokeballs opened up.

"Slowww." Slowpoke cried out as it appeared in front of its trainer. It let out a small yawn before laying back down.

"Slowpoke. What are you doing out!?" Nate asked as he watched the dopey pokemon start to sleep again. "No, now isn't the time to sleep. We need to battle these guys." He pleaded, only to have it fall on deaf ears.

"Look, Jess. It's a Slowpoke." James said as he looked through his stack of information cards. "Yep, matches the description and picture."

"It sure is." She said smiling. "Go, Shellder! Clamp yourself onto Slowpoke's tail!" She yelled out as her pokeball opened up to reveal a Shellder. The pokemon landed in front of Jessie and stuck its tongue out. "Don't just sit there, go and grab Slowpoke's tail!"

"I won't let you take Slowpoke!" Nate yelled as he picked the dopey pokemon up into his arms. "Nick, Ash can you guys help me out?"

"Sorry, but I have my hands full." Nick stated as Dratini jumped over a diving Raticate. "Dratini, use ice beam on Raticate!"

Dratini opened its mouth and shot the attack straight at Raticate, only to have it blocked by Primeape's fire punch. The dragon pokemon was then punched right in the face by Primeape.

"Pikachu, use thunderbolt again!" Ash called out as he saw Weezing and Arbok get back up.

Pikachu let off another strong attack as the two pokemon were engulfed by the attack. This time, both pokemon stayed down, having had enough of the electric mouse's attacks.

"Ivysaur, use vine whip!" Nate called out as he threw a pokeball out in front of the approaching Shellder.

"Ivy!" The grass type cried out as it appeared from its pokeball. Upon touching the ground, vines shot out of its bulb and tangled around Shellder.

"Good, now toss it away from here!" Nate commanded as Ivysaur flung it right onto Jessie, James and Meowth. "You want to finish this Ash?"

"Pikachu, use one more thunderbolt!" Ash cried out as Pikachu shocked the Team Rocket members once again, causing them to blast off into the sky alongside their pokemon.

"Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again!" The trio shouted as they flew across the sky until they weren't seen any longer.

Unknown to the others however, was the fact that Shellder had dug itself under the sand prior to the attack. The bivalve pokemon sat in the sand waiting for the perfect moment to strike and clamp itself onto Slowpoke.

"That was close, they almost got Slowpoke." Nate stated as he placed the dopey pokemon onto the sand. "I don't know what I would have done if something happened to you." He said to the water type, only to receive a blank stare back.

Just then, Shellder jumped out of the sand and clamped itself onto Slowpoke, causing it to be covered in a bright white light.

"I-It's evolving." Nate muttered to himself as he watched Slowpoke transition from walking on four legs to pushing itself onto its back two legs. Also happening was Shellder transforming into a spiral shell.

"I guess after all, Slowpoke evolved anyway." Ash muttered as he reached for his pokedex. Flipping it open, the device started to explain about Slowbro.

"Slowbro, the Hermit Crab Pokémon. Slowbro are able to use powerful psychic attacks, but generally prefers to avoid conflict." The pokedex stated before it was closed.

"Hey, that's great and all, but I'm still a little busy right here." Nick said, reminding the others of the situation at hand. "Dratini, use dragon tail on Raticate!"

"Dratini." It cried out as its tail changed colors before slamming into Raticate and caused the mouse pokemon to fly right into Primeape and then right into their trainers.

"You haven't won yet." Butch stated as he helped Primeape up onto his feet. "It's time for our secret technique. Primeape, use gunk shot!"

Primeape put his hands together as they started to glow silver before a giant bag of trash appeared in between them. In one swift movement, Primeape threw the bag at Dratini with all his force.

"Quick, dodge it, Dratini!" Nick called out as Dratini tried to avoid the attack. However, once close enough, the bag exploded open as numerous pieces of trash flew right at Dratini.

The dragon type tried to dodge it all, but was unable to and was soon covered in filth. "Dratini!" It yelled in anger as it looked at all of the mud and trash that covered its body. Dratini started to shake with rage. It was just washed and not only was that bath cut short but now it was ruined because of these two people in front of him.

Dratini continued to cry out in anger the more trash it saw on its body until it was completely covered in a bright white light.

"Dratini is e-evolving." Nick said out of shock. He knew dragons took a lot of training to evolve so he had no clue why it was already evolving. It must have been so angered that it triggered an evolution.

The white light started to die down as it showed that Dratini was now much larger than before and had a white horn on its head alongside two small wings where ears would be. Also on its body were three glass orbs, one near its neck and two on its tail.

"Dragonair, the Dragon Pokémon. Dragonair has the ability to manipulate the elements as it wishes." The pokedex read as both Nate and Ash had pulled them out while Dratini was evolving.

"Okay, Dragonair, use your twister attack!" Nick called out, but instead of whipping its tail forward, Dragonair opened its mouth and fired off an electrical blast.

The Team Rocket members jumped out of the way, only for the blast to turn around and shock all of them anyways. "No fair. It can't evolve and learn a new move at the same time." Butch complained as he tried to stand back up.

This time, Dragonair whipped its tail forward as a giant twister formed in front of it. This one was much stronger than the previous ones that were used earlier in the day. Team Rocket tried to run away from it, but were overpowered by the strong pull of the twister and were pulled into it along with their pokemon.

"It looks like we're blasting off just like the losers." Butch stated as he held his head in shame.

"Don't compare us to those failures. We're much better than them." Cassidy stated as they were whisked away with the twister far over the ocean.

"Wow, Dragonair, that was amazing." Nick complimented the dragon type as he walked over to it. When Nick reached him, he could tell that Dragonair was crying for some reason. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"Dragon, dragonair." It cried as tears started to form. Dragonair was using its tail to point at all of the trash covering its body.

"Hey, that's nothing to cry about." Nick said as he tried to calm down the pokemon. "We'll head right for the Pokemon Center and get you cleaned up. How does that sound?" He asked, receiving cries of joy from Dragonair.

"So, you're leaving then, Nick?" Nate asked as he walked up to his fellow Pallet Town native.

"Yeah, I have to get Dragonair cleaned up." Nick stated as he recalled the dragon type into its pokeball. "I'll see you guys back in Pallet Town." Nick stated as he walked back towards the Pokemon Center.

* * *

"So, are you sure that you're staying here?" Samurai asked two days later. Nothing eventful had happened since Team Rocket tried to capture Articuno.

"Yes. It's been quiet for the past two days, but you never know. They could just be waiting for things to quiet down." Endo said as he started to pack up his extra clothes. "I'll be here for about a week before heading back to Clear Village. I'll wait for you there." He explained before walking out of the room.

"Wait, Endo, where are you heading to now?" Samurai asked while he followed his brother out of the room.

"I'm going to be staying near the cave where you found those three grunts." Endo said, returning his room key to Nurse Joy as he walked past the front desk. "I've already turned them over to the police, but there might be more over there."

Before Samurai could say another word, a loud horn could be heard in the distance. "That's my boat. I guess this is where we go our separate ways." Samurai said as he faced towards the docks. "Be careful while you're over there, who knows what you might run into."

"You don't have to worry about me, little brother." Endo replied as he gave a thumbs up to his brother before heading towards the other side of the island. "You better hurry, otherwise you'll miss your boat." He said from over his shoulder.

"R-right," Samurai muttered as he sprinted for the docks, barely making it to the boat on time. "W-wait, I-I'm here." Samurai said as he was hunched over, breathing heavily as he held his ticket to the captain.

"You just made it, son." The captain said as he took the ticket. "Next time, you should really make it sooner." He said while smiling at the boy.

"Y-yes, sir." Samurai responded as he climbed aboard the ship. After looking around, he managed to find his friends sitting by a railing.

"Oh, hey, Samurai." Nick managed to mutter as he felt his whole stomach churn. "Wh-where's Endo?"

"He decided to stay back there and relax for a little." Samurai lied to his friends about the truth, but knew it was for the best. "He thought that it really helped him get over the stress he has from losing the gym. But enough about that, Nick, do you think you can get your final gym badge?"

"O-of course." Nick said, trying to stand up confidently, only to throw up over the side of the boat. "Though it might take me a few days to not be seasick before I challenge him." He joked, getting a few pity laughs out of his friends.

* * *

"How did we mess that up!?" Petrel yelled as he flipped a table. "We had everything going perfect, but then that boy messed it up." He said, cooling down from his tantrum.

"What's the big deal?" Proton asked as he leaned backwards in his chair. "They are nowhere near as strong as It. Why does the boss want them?"

"It isn't the three individuals that our boss wants, but their master." Petrel explained as he sat across from his fellow admin. "It's believed that when you bring all three elemental birds under your control, it will call forth the beast of the sea. This beast is rumored to be one of the strongest pokemon ever and with its strength we could recapture It."

Proton listened to his fellow admin before standing up. "If that's the case, you should have told me sooner. I've heard of a person who can acquire anything. If we give them a call I'm sure they'll help us, for the right deal." He finished before leaving the room.

* * *

 **The adventures on the Seafoam Islands come to an end with Dratini evolving and Samurai catching a Golduck. They're now on their way to Cinnabar for Nick's final gym badge. Team Rocket also failed at both of their plots, although one wasn't planned by the whole organization, and have now moved onto a new idea.**

 **Please live a review letting me know how this chapter went.**

 **I'd just like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.**

 **The next chapter might be updated a little later than I have planned due to visiting family from out of state for the next week.**

 **Team:**

 **Nick- 7 badges:**

 **Eevee- swift, quick attack, dig, shadow ball**

 **Kingler- water gun, crabhammer, stomp, mud shot**

 **Charizard- flamethrower, ember, dragon tail, brick break**

 **Gastly- night shade, venoshock, hypnosis, dark pulse**

 **Hitmonchan- mach punch, agility, comet punch, thunder punch**

 **Dragonair- Twister, Ice beam, Dragon Tail, Shock Wave**

 **At Oak's:**

 **Beedrill- poison sting, fury attack, twinneedle, hyper beam**

 **Shellder**

* * *

 **Samurai- league exam badge:**

 **Pinsir- x-scissor, earthquake, harden, revenge**

 **Venonat- supersonic, poison fang, confusion, signal beam**

 **Parasect- energy ball, stun spore, fury cutter, slash**

 **Sandshrew- Rollout, mud-slap, dig, scratch**

 **Golduck- Fury Swipes, Water Pulse, Screech**

 **At home:**

 **Butterfree- aerial ace, sleep powder**

* * *

 **Janine- league exam badge:**

 **Venonat- psybeam, foresight,**

 **Golbat- wing attack, hypnosis, venoshock, shadow ball**

 **Grimer- flamethrower, poison jab, minimize, mud-slap**

 **Vulpix- ember, flame charge, attract, energy ball**


	45. A Blazing Riddle

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Pokemon**

* * *

"We're finally here!" Nick cried out in joy as he walked off of the boat. "Cinnabar Gym, be ready to face me!" He said, throwing his fists up into the air.

"He really is excited, isn't he." Janine stated to Samurai as they stayed further back from him. "He can barely contain his excitement."

Samurai crossed his arms across his chest before nodding. "Well, look at it from his point of view. This is the last gym badge he needs before he can compete at the league. This is something he's dreamt about his whole life."

"His whole life? He isn't even eleven years old yet." Janine retorted as the duo walked off the boat. "Besides, shouldn't he be preparing for it instead of how he's acting?"

"Oh, relax a little." Samurai joked as he lightly tapped her arm. "He has about two months to get this badge. The league doesn't take place for about another three months and it only takes about ten days to get to Indigo Plateau from Pallet Town."

"Ya, but still, doesn't he remember how his battle with Lt. Surge went the first time?" Janine asked, bringing up the fact that Nick could sometimes get a big ego.

"That's different. Back then, he was overconfident. Look at him right now, he's just excited." He explained as they finally were off the boat. "But, I don't think he even knows where the gym is." He pointed out once he noticed Nick's expression.

"Well, according to the guide book, it should be located somewhere near the center of the island." Janine said as she read off information about the island. "Also located here is an amusement park and the Pokemon Lab."

"Pokemon Lab?" Samurai asked back, confused by what exactly it could be.

"It's kind of like a place where scientists use technology and science to help advance pokemon training thanks to new inventions." Janine explained as they caught up to Nick. "I think we should really check it out at some point before leaving."

"Huh, check what out?" Nick asked the duo once he noticed the duo had caught up to him.

"Some place called the Pokemon Lab." Samurai replied, shrugging at the idea of spending the whole day at some research facility.

"Oh, I've heard of that place before." Nick said as he pulled out a magazine. "I read that they created some items to help train pokemon like the macho brace." He explained as he pointed to the pictures of the pokemon wearing the items. "They say that certain items are meant to help increase a specific part of a pokemon like their speed, attack or defense."

"You seem to know a lot on them." Janine said as she started to read over the article in Nick's magazine. "Do you have any of them?"

"Of course not." Nick said as he then pointed to a rather large number at the bottom of the page. "They're way too expensive for anyone to just buy. The only way people are getting them now is if you're rich or if you have connections."

Samurai, noticing the huge crowds throughout Cinnabar Island, decided to end the conversation before the Pokemon Center became completely booked. "Listen, I really hate to interrupt your little conversation, but we really should head over to the Pokemon Center before they fill up."

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Nick admitted as he rubbed the back of his head. "It's just that there's so much to do here after my gym battle. It feels nice for once that we don't have to rush around."

"Don't get too excited." Samurai stated as he slapped Nick over the back of the head. "You still have to win before thinking about relaxing. You don't want a repeat of what happened with Lt. Surge, do you?"

Rubbing the sore spot, Nick looked up at friend. "Ow, there wasn't any reason to hit me. Besides, I wasn't expecting to win easily. It's just the fact that we won't have to leave immediately after the gym match that excites me. Think about it. We only stayed in Celadon for like, three days. Vermilion was also around three. The only city we actually stayed a while at was Cerulean and only because we had to wait for the Gym Leaders to return."

"He has a point, Samurai." Janine added in as she handed Nick his magazine back. "But, Nick, have you thought of who you'll use at the gym?"

"Well, I really want Dragonair to get a chance at battling a gym, plus Kingler hasn't had a real battle in a while so he needs one. Other than that, I can't say. It all depends on what kind of battle takes place." He said while placing the magazine back into his backpack.

"Yeah, for just a beginner, you really have faced different kinds of gym battles." Samurai stated as he thought back on them. "There were the two-on-twos, the time you battled three leaders individually, the normal three-on-threes, then Erika's strange tag battle and finally that four-on-four with Surge. Whatever kind it is, you should be fine." He finished saying before walking off in the direction of the Center.

* * *

"What! There must be at least one room available?" Nick asked as he looked up at Nurse Joy. "How, could every room be taken?"

"I'm sorry, but we're over packed." Nurse Joy stated with a frown. "We have so many trainers visiting that they're even sleeping out in the lobby. I wish we had somewhere for you three, but we just don't have any room at all."

"That's alright, Nurse Joy." Samurai said while bowing politely to his elder. "I'm sure we can find a hotel nearby, but if we ever need to have our pokemon checked out can we stop by?"

"Of course. I'm always available." She said before the group walked out of the Center.

"Well, that stinks." Nick muttered as he sat down on the front steps. "I never would have thought so many trainers would come to Cinnabar. It's supposed to be a tourist hotspot. In fact, if it wasn't for my gym battle, I'd probably not come here."

"Well, all these trainers are in the same spot as you." Janine stated as both herself and Samurai sat down next to Nick. "They all came here to get a gym badge."

"I guess you're right." He agreed while placing his head in his hands. "But, what do we do for a place to sleep?"

"Well, we're not going to find any place to stay just sitting around." Samurai said, standing up before looking at all the hotels. "There're so many hotels, one of them must have a room."

* * *

"I can't believe that every hotel is full." Samurai stated while sitting down on a bench. "You'd think that there would be at least one room left somewhere on this island."

"I hate to say it, Nick, but maybe you should challenge the gym right now and then we can leave this place." Janine added in while sitting down as well. "I know you wanted to stick around for a while, but it's too crowded here for us to do anything. It might be better for us to get to Pallet Town."

Nick sighed as he sat down next to his friends. "You might be right. If I can challenge the leader soon, then when I win it will give me more time to train for the league. Let's go." He said while standing up.

"Wait! Where are you going!?" Samurai yelled out as he started to follow Nick, not wanting to lose the trainer in the crowd of tourists.

"To find the gym. Where else would I be heading!" He yelled back, but his voice was drowned out by the crowds.

"But we just sat down after running around all day." Janine whined as she stood up. "We better follow him before we get separated." She explained, grabbing Samurai's hand as she pulled him through the crowds. "Stay close, we don't want to get separated in this crowd."

"But, I think we lost Nick!" Samurai cried out once he couldn't see the trainer any more. "I was following his hat through the crowd, but I lost sight of him once he got deeper in the crowd."

Sighing, Janine stopped walking and pulled out her guidebook. "I guess we should just meet him at the gym. There's no point in searching for him in this crowd. Look, we just need to head right for the center of the island."

* * *

"Now, I just need to find the gym." Nick said to himself before stopping in his tracks. "But, where exactly is the gym? Hey, Janine, Samurai, do either of you have any idea of where it could be?" He asked before realizing that he was all alone. Scratching the back of his head, the young trainer started to talk to himself again. "I guess we got separated in the crowd. I should have slowed down a little. Oh well, knowing them they probably headed right for the gym."

"You know, you're not too smart." A voice rung through the crowd like it was directed at Nick. "Yeah, I'm talking to you." The voice stated once Nick pointed at himself.

"Hey, whoever you are, do you know the way to the gym?" Nick called out as he looked around for the person.

"I'm up here, idiot!" The voice called out, coming from a tree that was planted in the park. Sitting up in the tree was a boy who didn't look any older than five years old. He had black spiky hair that was unkempt and ran down to about his neck. He wore a black shirt with blue shorts along with white sneakers. The boy was leaning against the tree, trying to look cool. "I take it you're new to this place."

'Hey! Why are you up in that tree!?" Nick yelled out as he walked towards the tree, ignoring the boy's question. "Shouldn't you be playing with other kids your age?"

Caught off guard by the trainer's questions, the young child lost his balance and fell out of the tree. Landing in a bush, the young boy stood up as he brushed leaves off of his shirt. "What's the big idea for yelling like that!?" The boy yelled out as he finished dusting himself off. "You made me mess up my cool pose!"

Nick rubbed the back of his head due to his embarrassment before talking. "Hey, sorry about that, but you didn't have to be up in that tree." He said before sitting on the ground. "Okay, why were you in that tree. And don't tell me that it was to 'look cool'." Nick said as he poked fun at the boy.

"Ughhh." The boy cried as he sat inside of the bush, pulling Nick into it with him. "Keep it down will you. I'm trying to hide from my grandpa." The boy stated in a hushed whisper.

Nick tilted his head, giving the boy a perplexed look. "Why, are you playing a game with him?"

"Of course not!" He yelled before covering his mouth. "Listen up, the name's Kegan. You better remember it because one day I'll be the greatest, and coolest, trainer who ever lived." Kegan said as he struck a thumbs up pose in front of Nick. "But, I might be in some trouble first."

"Huh, what exactly did you do this time?" Nick asked as he looked on. "Whatever you broke could most likely be replaced."

"I didn't brake anything. I'm hiding because my grandpa is driving me nuts." Kegan said as he looked around the outside of the bush. "You ever hear of a place called Pokemon Tech?" He asked the trainer before him.

"Of course. I have some history with them. Something I'd rather not bring up." Nick said, hoping to change the subject immediately.

"Well, so anyways, my grandpa wants to enroll me. He thinks it might do me some good." Kegan said, his hands flying around as he talked. "He tells me all the time that it's a great school, but I don't want to attend it. They have multiple campuses and I'd be at the Viridian City one, but I can't be seen as some uncool guy like yourself."

"Gee, thanks." Nick muttered to himself about being called uncool. "I have to agree with your grandpa, the school is great." Nick said, causing Kegan to lower his head. "However, despite being one of the smartest people ever to apply, I can't stand them."

"Let me guess, they cramped your style when it came to battling?" Kegan asked as he stood up and posed. "They want everyone to fight based on type match ups and to base their moves out in advance. I'm not like that. I'll be a trainer who just wings it!"

Upon hearing this, Nick couldn't help but sweat drop. "You can't just go into a battle unprepared. You should have a slight idea already for what you want to do, but being spontaneous never hurts." Nick then stood up as he wiped the dirt off of his clothes. "Listen, as much as I can't stand the place, they are a great place to learn. I'd listen to your grandpa and attend. Whatever happens, I wish you the best but I have a gym battle to go have." The trainer said as he started to walk away.

"Hey, who do you think you are, walking away from the great Kegan!" He yelled while throwing his arms into the air and striking another pose. This time, he flexed his left arm while fully extending his right arm out to his side. "No one walks away while I'm talking to them! Do you understand!" He yelled while chasing after Nick. Upon catching up with the trainer, Kegan leapt onto his back and caused the duo to roll down a hill.

"Ow, why'd you jump on me like that!?" Nick asked as he stood up from his tumble. "You could have gotten us hurt!"

"Well, you shouldn't be walking away from me! You should be respecting me!" Kegan yelled back as he got right into Nick's face.

"Maybe Pokemon Tech will be good for you. It'll teach you some manners!" Nick said, not noticing that he had caused the boy to start crying.

"W-well, ma-maybe you need manners." Kegan said while trying to hold back his tears. "You'll regret ever getting on my bad side."

Noticing the tears in his eyes now, Nick stooped down to Kegan's height. "Listen, I'm sorry for snapping. Just stop crying, it's making me feel bad."

"Y-you don't know my grandpa." Kegan began as he wiped away his tears. "The only reason he wants me to go to school is because he's a man of science. We may fight, but he's the only family I know."

"Huh, what do you mean?" Nick asked, perplexed by this statement. "Of course you must have parents."

"I never met them." Kegan stated as he turned around from Nick. "My grandpa told me that they were in an accident shortly after I was born." The young boy paused for a moment before continuing. "He doesn't care about Pokemon Tech, he just wants me to get an education."

Not knowing what to do, Nick started to awkwardly rub Kegan's back. "Hey, it's alright. Everything will be fine. Your grandpa is only looking out for you. I really wish I could stay longer, but I really need to find the gym."

Kegan wiped any remaining tears from his face and cleared his throat. "I-I can lead you there. I've passed by it countless times when I've hidden from my grandpa." He said while flashing Nick a toothy grin while showing that he was missing his left lower tooth.

* * *

"Where could Nick be? You'd think he would be here by now." Janine said as Samurai and herself stood outside the gym.

"Maybe this isn't actually a gym." Samurai stated as he looked at the building. It was covered in vines and had a few cracks in the walls. The windows had also been boarded up and it seemed like it hadn't been used in a while. "I've never seen such a rundown gym."

"Yeah, maybe your right." Janine added as she looked over the building. "Maybe we should ask someone." She said before noticing a man with long golden hair in a red shirt and pants. He was also wearing a bead necklace made up of multiple colors and had circular sunglasses on. "Maybe he knows."

"Excuse me, sir, but do you know where the gym is?" Samurai asked the man politely. "It seems we have the wrong location."

"Nope. That really is the place." The man stated in a smooth and calm voice. "The gym leader let it get rundown like that."

"But, why?" Janine asked as she looked between the man and the building. "Didn't the Pokemon League complain at all?"

"Well you see, Blaine had grown tired of all the tourists on the island. They actually ruined being a gym leader for him because everyone challenged him even though they weren't serious." The man began to explain. "He then went to the League and worked with them to build a new secret gym for the island. This way, only serious trainers will have a battle with Blaine."

"So, where is it located?" Samurai asked, although he already knew the answer.

"Don't know." The man answered while shrugging. "I'm just a hotel owner. Blaine would never trust me with something like that."

"Wait, you own a hotel?" Samurai asked with joy in his voice. "Do you have any rooms available?

"Huh?" The man said as he moved back from Samurai. "I don't rent my rooms out." He said as the sun glistened on his glasses. "Unless they can solve my riddles."

"Riddles?" The duo asked as they looked at the man.

"Of course. Nothing is better in life than a good riddle." He said, nodding in agreement with himself. "Now listen up. My hotel can be recognized by a figure with both of its hands on its face."

"What? That doesn't make any since." Samurai muttered as he placed his hand under his chin. "I've never heard of something like that. Can we get a second riddle?" He asked, only to notice the man was gone.

* * *

"Yeah, the gym isn't too far from here." Kegan said as he led the way. "I have to warn you though. It isn't what you'd expect for a gym."

"What do you mean by that?" Nick asked as he followed him. "It isn't on the volcano, is it?" He asked jokingly before becoming slightly nervous.

"No, nothing like that." Kegan quickly replied as they turned down a street. "Blaine just isn't known for keeping it in good condition." He said before stopping in his tracks. "Sorry about this. Magby, use smokescreen!" Kegan yelled as he pulled a pokeball from his short's pocket and opened.

Nick didn't get a chance to see the pokemon as his vision was impaired by a cloud of black smoke. Coughing, the young trainer found his way out of the smoke cloud and started to laugh. "That kid sure is crazy, but, I guess he led me to the gym." Nick said to himself as he saw the sign. _"I guess he wasn't kidding when he said it wouldn't be what I'd expect. I don't know how it's even allowed to stay open."_ He thought to himself once he saw the building.

"Nick! Over here!" Samurai yelled out once he saw his friend approaching the rundown gym. "We have something to tell you."

"Whatever it is, it probably can't shock me more than this gym." He replied as he pointed at the deserted building. "I mean honestly, just look at it. How is it even allowed to stay open, Dark City was nicer than this."

"That isn't the real gym." Janine blurted out while receiving a glare from Samurai. "The real one is hidden somewhere on the island."

"Hey, we agreed that I could tell him!" Samurai yelled out, frustrated at the fact that his news was stolen. "You were supposed to tell him about the hotel."

Rubbing the back of her head, Janine let out a slight chuckle to lighten the mood. "You were taking too long to let him know. Besides, does it really matter who tells him?"

"It doesn't." Samurai replied as he faced Nick. "I just really wanted to say it." He muttered before growing serious. "Anyway, we might have found a hotel. If we can figure out a riddle."

"A riddle?" Nick asked back as he stared at his two friends.

"Mmm hmm." Samurai muttered as he nodded his head in agreement. "This older man offered us a place at his hotel if we could solve his riddle. It goes like this, 'my hotel can be recognized by a figure with both of its hands on its face.' Unfortunately, we can't figure it out at all."

Nick scratched his chin as he pondered over the question. "A figure whose face is covered by both its hands. What could that mean?" He asked himself before sitting down at a bench. As he sat down, he quickly covered his face with his own hands.

"Umm, Nick," Samurai began, worrying for his friend's sanity. "Did you finally crack after everything we've been through?"

"No." Nick replied as he shook his head back and forth. "I'm trying to be like the riddle. My face is covered by both my hands, but nothing comes to mind."

"Well knock it off." Samurai told the young trainer as he grabbed Nick's hands. "People are staring at us, quit wasting our time and actually help us think of an answer."

"I am helping." Nick said back, trying to free his hands from Samurai's grasp. "I don't question anything you do, so let me figure it out my way. Besides, we have all the time we need."

Listening to her friends argue, Janine started to think with a little help from the two's arguing. "Hold up." She said, causing both of them to stop arguing. "Nick, place your hands over your face again. And Samurai, repeat what you said earlier."

Both of her friends did exactly as they were told and it helped paint a better picture for the ninja. "I've got it. The hotel has a large clock on the top of it. All we have to do is find a hotel with a large clock on it."

"How'd you figure that out?" Samurai asked, sounding dumbfounded by Janine's answer. "Especially from our arguing."

"I wasn't sure at first, but after Nick started to place his hands over his face it made more sense." She started to explain before digging through her bag. After a minute, Janine pulled out a wristwatch and pointed to the hour and minute hands. "The two hands cover up the face of the watch, but I wasn't sure about it being a clock until Samurai mentioned time. Once I heard that, I thought it could only be a clock."

"Well if that's the answer, why are we just standing around here?" Samurai asked before he started to walk away. "Let's go find the hotel!"

* * *

"Look, a clock!" Nick yelled out as he spotted the clock. "The hotel must be nearby."

"I hope so." Samurai whined as the trio climbed up a hill. "Who would build a hotel so close to an active volcano?"

"Active? I thought it was dormant." Nick replied as they reached the top of the hill.

"It was thought to be dormant, but recently there has been activity from it." Janine said before spotting a building. "Look over there! That must be the hotel."

The three trainers walked to the door and knocked, only to find it unlocked. Opening the door slowly, Nick walked in first. He was soon followed by Samurai and Janine, but were all stopped by a man in front of them.

"Hi there." The man from before said as he waved at them. "I take it you solved my riddle."

"Yeah." Janine said once she was able to. "It took us a while to figure it out. But, do you still have any rooms available?"

"Of course! You can even stay for free." He replied, getting looks of shock from the three travelers. "But only if you solve my riddle. This hotel has a place where you can be both warm and cool at the same time. What is it?"

The three trainers thought it over as they tried to figure it out. "Warm and cool." Nick muttered to himself as he tried picturing different items. "I got it! You have an ice cream bar inside of a sauna."

"Um, no. That wouldn't be a good idea at all." The man responded as he looked at the other two. "Do either of you have a guess?"

"Could it be a hot spring?" Janine asked as she decided to answer with that. "It must be. Being so close to a volcano would be the perfect way to heat up any bodies of water you have."

"Right you are!" He exclaimed as he handed over three keys. "My hotel has the best hot springs on the island. The springs are natural, but I built the surrounding building. They're heated by the nearby volcano just like you said."

"Grampa!" A voice yelled out as footsteps could be heard coming from the next room over. "Is dinner ready? I'm starving!" The voice yelled as a boy walked into the room.

Recognizing each other from before, both Nick and Kegan pointed at each other. "Hey! You're the kid from earlier!"

"I take it you've met." The hotel owner stated as he walked over to his grandson. "As for the others, this is Kegan. He's my only grandkid and can be a handful at times. Please, join us for dinner. I was just finishing cooking when I heard the door open."

"We could never intrude on your family dinner. We'll find someplace nearby to eat." Nick said before his stomach gave him away. Nick blushed as his stomach started to growl loudly. "Well, I guess we could join you for tonight."

* * *

"Dinner is ready!" The owner yelled out as footsteps could be heard coming from upstairs. You could hear different paces for the footsteps as two sounded like they were in a hurry while the other two were taking their time.

The man turned around just in time to see Nick sprinting down the stairs while Kegan slid down the railing and landed on Nick's back, causing them both to fall. "What did I tell you about jumping on me!" Nick yelled as he stood up.

"What did I tell you while we were upstairs?" Kegan asked as he got right into Nick's face. "I'm always first to the table. I don't know why you thought you could beat me." He said before breaking into a sprint for his chair.

Sitting down after him were Samurai and Janine, who both sat across from the hyperactive kid. The hotel owner sat at the head of the table, leaving the only seat available next to Kegan. After a minute, Nick finally made it to the table as he sat next to Kegan.

"I hope you all enjoy seafood. I was cooking fresh fish earlier along with some rice balls" The man said before pointing to a bucket of rice. "We also have plain rice as well."

"Thank you very much." All three trainers said in unison as they bowed towards the generous man. Looking at the food, it seemed that too much was prepared for dinner as plates had fish piled up on them.

"Pass the ketchup, please!" Nick and Kegan both yelled out as they started to pile food onto their plates.

"Who would have thought someone else uses ketchup just like Nick?" Janine asked as she cut a piece of her fish up. "And I thought he was crazy for putting it on everything."

"See, I'm not crazy." Nick muttered as he took another bite of his fish. "Ketchup goes great with everything." He added as he splashed more of it onto his plate before stuffing his face again.

"Slow down, you're taking all the food." Kegan whined as he stuffed his face as well. "You don't have very good manners, stuffing your face like that. Look at all the food on your plate." He said, accidently spitting food from his mouth.

"Look who's talking!" Nick replied as he picked up a rice ball. "You have more food on your plate than I do!"

"My, I haven't seen someone with an appetite like Kegan's in a long time." The man said, sweat dropping at the sight of the two boys eating.

"Well, I'm a growing boy! I'm supposed to eat a lot." Kegan replied as he grabbed for another serving of rice.

"Yeah, you'll be a big boy alright." Nick muttered under his breath as he went to reach for the last fish, only to have Kegan swipe it away. "Hey! You saw me going for that!"

"Too slow." The boy replied before stuffing the whole fish into his mouth. "Next time you should be faster." He joked, flashing a smile at the trainer.

"Well, now that you two have finished stuffing your faces, what brings you to Cinnabar Island?" The hotel owner asked as he started to pick up the plates. "We always see tourists, but no one comes to my hotel."

"Well, I came here looking to challenge the gym leader for my final gym badge." Nick answered, unaware of the look in the man's eyes. "But, my friends told me the real gym was hidden."

"Yes, Blaine grew tired of all the tourists challenging his gym so he built a new one." The hotel owner explained as he grabbed the last of the plates. "The only ones who can challenge him are those who manage to find the gym. No one knows where it is, but he left a clue. It was something like, 'the gym is located in a place where firefighters couldn't put out a fire"

"Well, why am I sitting around here!?" Nick yelled out as he stood up from his seat. "It's time to start looking for the gym."

"Yeah and I'm coming too." Kegan said as he shot up from his seat.

"Oh no you're not." Nick replied, grabbing the young boy by his shirt. "You've caused me enough headaches today."

Kegan wouldn't take no as an answer as he continued to try and walk forward. "But, I've been looking for the gym for months now. If you find it, then I can challenge Blaine myself."

Before Nick could argue, Samurai joined in. "Nick, isn't it too late to find the gym?" He said, letting out a light yawn. "Wouldn't you rather challenge the gym after a good night's rest?"

"Plus, now that we found a hotel, we don't need to rush. Now we can relax a little just like we planned." Janine added in as she stretched in her chair.

"I also think its best you wait until morning." The hotel owner added as he sat down. "The streets of Cinnabar can be dangerous at night. They're sometimes filled with thugs looking to jump unsuspecting tourists. If you want to do something, use the hot springs out back. Free of charge, of course."

* * *

"Ahhh. Now this is relaxing." Nick stated as he slid into the hot spring. "I could really get used to this."

"Tell me about it." Samurai replied as he slid into the hot spring as well. "But, where do you think the gym might be?"

"I really don't know, but I think I'm going to visit the Pokemon Lab tomorrow. I'm kind of interested in it." He said, dipping deeper into the water.

"I wouldn't." A new voice rang out as footsteps could be heard. "It's just a tourist trap. They lure you in and then force you into buying their newest inventions."

Nick sighed as he watched the person walk closer to the hot spring. "Kegan, what are you doing up, isn't it passed your bedtime?"

"As if, I don't have a bedtime. Besides, like I said, I'm going to follow you until you find the gym." The young boy said before starting to run. "Cannon ball!" He yelled as he jumped into the water, causing a wave to splash up into Nick's face.

"What was that for?" Nick asked as he wiped the water off of his face. "This is hot water! It hurts when it hits your face, watch!" He yelled, splashing Kegan in the face.

"Hey, watch where you're splashing!" Kegan yelled as he stumbled backwards. His arm then caught onto the Gyarados statue and accidently pulled it downward. "Look, you made me brake grandpa's statue."

Just then, the nearby rocks started to move as a cave appeared behind them. Also, the fence separating the men's hot spring from the women's was crushed by the moving rocks. This caused the two groups to see each other unexpectedly.

* * *

"I wonder where this path is taking us?" Nick asked as the group of now four walked down the newly revealed path. It seemed as though they were in a cave of some sort based on the rocks, but it was incredibly hot in there.

"I don't know, but the deeper we go the hotter it gets." Janine replied as she wiped some sweat from her forehead. "I hope we don't get cooed while we're in here."

"I doubt it. Whoever built this had to have survived, so we should be fine." Samurai assured her before taking a sip of water out of his bottle. "But, I wouldn't mind a little ac right now."

"Look! A door!" Kegan yelled with excitement as he raced towards it. "I'm going to open it up and see where it leads to."

"Wait!" Nick called out, not wanting the little boy to touch what looked like a metal door. "If that's made out of metal, it'll be really hot."

Unfortunately, Kegan didn't listen and reached for the handle. His hand felt a slight burning sensation and pulled it away. "Ow, that door's hot."

"I know, I tried to warn you!" Nick yelled at the boy, not noticing the door moving. "Next time you should listen and then you won't get hurt."

The doors continued to open as the duo yelled at each other, to reveal the inside of the volcano the group had seen earlier. In the middle was what looked to be a pokemon field chained up to the walls of the volcano.

"I guess this is gym." Janine muttered as everyone stared at the location of it. "It really makes sense that firefighters couldn't win in here."

"I knew it." Nick whined as he walked through the doors. "I had to guess that it would be in a volcano. Why couldn't I have said something like the beach or an air conditioned building."

"So, you found the gym." A voice stated as everyone noticed that it belonged to the man from before. "I must congratulate you on finding it, not many people do."

"Grandpa, what are you doing here?" Kegan asked as he ran towards the battlefield.

"Sorry to hide it from you, Kegan, but in truth I'm Blaine the gym leader." He said, walking closer towards the field. "Now, to figure out my disguise, I'll give you a riddle. This item can cover up your head when you lose hair and keeps you dry in the rain."

"That's easy, a hat!" Nick yelled out before even listening to the whole question.

"No, listen to the whole thing next time." Samurai berated him, slapping him over the back of his head. "The answer's a wig! Do you see him even wearing a hat!?"

"That's right." Blaine said, tossing his wig and mustache away. He now had gray hair on the sides and back of his head, but was bald on top. He also had a little stubble of white hair where his fake mustache was before. "Now, who's battling me? It'll be a three-on-three battle. "

"I am," Nick stated proudly as he walked towards the battlefield. He already had his team planned out from the beginning, so learning that it was a fire type gym made no difference.

"Great, now choose your first pokemon." Blaine said as he tossed a pokeball onto the field. "Go, Ninetails!"

"Wow, a Ninetails." Nick stated while being marveled by its beauty. "I've already decided on my first pokemon. I choose you, Kingler!"

Nick tossed his pokeball towards the field and watched as his water type emerged from it and landed with a thud. Kingler immediately started to fire off a water gun attack at Nick, but the trainer dodged and instead hit Kegan.

"Kokee..." The water type muttered once he noticed he hit the wrong person. The pincer pokemon could only watch as the boy he hit stood back up and whacked Nick in the back.

"Tell your pokemon to watch where their aiming. He just hit me." Kegan complained as he wiped the water off of his face.

"Yeah sure." Nick muttered to himself as he faced Kingler. "Okay, Kingler, let's show everyone how your training has come along."

"We'll take the first move. Ninetails, use sunny day!" Blaine commanded of the fox pokemon

"Nine." It cried out while its tails glowed white. The energy then shot off of them right into the air, creating an artificial sun and causing the rom to heat up even more.

"What, it wasn't hot enough for you?" Nick asked jokingly as he started to sweat from the heat. "We'll cool this place down a little. Kingler, use water gun."

"Kokee, ko." The water type stated as he lifted his large claw. Opening it to its max, Kingler then shot out a large stream of water straight for Ninetails.

"Look at that speed. Nick has been training Kingler lately hasn't he?" Samurai asked as he looked as the speed of the attack.

"Not much, just while we were at the Seafoam Islands." Janine responded as they watched.

"Ninetails, use double team and follow it up with fire spin." Blaine responded coolly as he watched the attack approach.

Ninetails glowed white for a split second before clones of itself were formed and started to encircle the pincer pokemon. Kingler continued his water gun attack, but only managed to hit a clone which vanished on impact.

"Kingler, when the attack comes, use your water gun to shoot yourself up into the air." Nick commanded as they waited for the attack to come.

Ninetails opened her mouth as a flame started to form in it. Seeing their chance, Kingler shot itself up into the sky just as Ninetails launched the attack. The two believed to have succeeded until the flame shot up into the sky and engulfed Kingler into it.

"W-what?" Nick stuttered as he watched Kingler trapped inside of the attack. "But, how?"

"Fire spin is a rather useful attack." Blaine said as he fixed his glasses. "It creates a cylinder of flames around the pokemon and entraps them, causing damage constantly on them."

"Kingler, try and break free by spinning with water gun!" Nick called out, but was unsure if it would work.

The water type did as he was told and started to spin as the water gun shot out of his claw. "Kokee kee..." Kingler panted as the immense flames started to get to him.

"Don't give up yet, Kingler! I know you can do it!" Nick yelled out, helping to give Kingler a boost of confidence.

The water gun continued to grow in strength until it managed to extinguish the fire spin. "Ko... kee." Kingler muttered as he gathered his breath.

"Kingler's getting tired, you should switch it out." Samurai offered as he watched Kingler pant.

"We won't give them a chance." Blaine stated as he pointed at Ninetails. "Ninetails, use solarbeam!" He commanded of the fox pokemon.

"Kingler, counter it with your mud shot attack!" Nick yelled out, hoping that it would work out just as the last water gun did.

Both pokemon charged up their attacks, getting ready to launch their respective attacks. "Nine!" The fire type cried out as it raised its tails up towards the sky. A white light started to gather around the tails before all of it all moved to the middle tail.

Kingler likewise lifted its claw as the inside started to glow a brownish color as mud started to form in it.

"Kokee Ko." Kingler stated as he launched off the balls of mud.

"Nine." Ninetails stated as she fired off the beam of white light.

The beam shot off of Ninetail's tail like a rocket and collided right into Kingler, causing an explosion to occur. Smoke clouded everyone's vision as they couldn't get a clear view of the water type.

Thanks to the smoke, Kingler's mud shot attack managed to go undetected by Ninetails as it soared across the gym. The mud shot continued to travel until it hit Ninetails directly in its chest.

"Look, a direct hit!" Janine called out as she watched Ninetails shake off the hit. "But... I don't think it did much."

"I wish Kingler was the same way." Samurai said, pointing at the pincer pokemon as it appeared from the smoke.

"Ko... Kee." Kingler muttered before collapsing from fatigue. That last solarbeam was just too much for the water type to handle, especially after being weakened earlier in the match.

Nick looked on, shocked that Kingler had been beaten so easily. "Kingler, return!" Nick called out as the water type was recalled into its pokeball. "You did a great job today, get a nice rest." He said, replacing the pokeball.

Nick stood there for a minute as he bit his bottom lip. _"Who should I use next?"_ He thought to himself before one of his own pokeballs opened on their own. Popping out of the device was Eevee, who stood there ready to fight.

"Y-you want to battle for me?" Nick asked, glad that Eevee wanted to battle despite the odds not being in their favor.

"Vee!" It cried out before lowering itself into a battle stance.

"Alright, we'll show them just how strong we really are!" The young trainer cried out as he flashed a thumbs up. "Let's give it everything we have, Eevee!"

"Hmm, this is interesting." Blaine muttered before raising a pokeball. "Ninetails, return."

"Hey, you can't switch out your pokemon! It's against the rules!" Nick yelled out once Ninetails was recalled. "Gym leaders aren't allowed to switch out during the battle."

"I don't follow that rule." Blaine remarked as he fixed his glasses, "You said yourself that this was your final badge. Other trainers will be allowed to switch out during the league, so what's the difference." He stated as he reached for a new pokeball. "Flareon, come on out!"

The pokeball opened up to reveal a Flareon standing across from Eevee now. Seeing its pre-evolved form, Flareon smirked at Eevee like it was telling him to give up.

Eevee glared back at Flareon before growling at the fire type. "Eee, eevee... Vee!" The evolution pokemon cried out towards its opponent.

"I too once had an Eevee, but realized just how much stronger it would be if I evolved it." Blaine admitted as he thought back to his past. "Since evolving, Flareon has become quite powerful, I might even say it's my second strongest."

Nick stood there grinding his teeth together as he tried to think up a plan. "We'll show you that evolution isn't always the answer! Eevee, start off with a quick attack!" Eevee dashed across the field, ready to make the first move.

"Flareon, we'll show them our quick attack as well." Blaine demanded as Flareon dashed towards Eevee.

Both pokemon showed off their amazing quickness as they dashed across the field, leaving a trail of white light behind each of them. Both pokemon collided at the middle of the field, their heads connecting together.

Eevee flinched slightly upon contact, but fought back proving just how resilient it was. Flareon on the other hand seemed unfazed and actually smirked at its opponent.

"Huh, why's Flareon laughing out there?" Kegan asked as he watched the two interlocked pokemon continue their battle. "They look even to me."

"Look again." Samurai said as he folded his arms. "Flareon is playing around. It could easily overpower Eevee at any moment"

"Nick, what is brown, red and is hurt all over!?" Blaine cried out before smirking. "Your Eevee after this attack! Now, fire fang."

"Flareon..." The fire type stated as it opened its mouth. Flareon's teeth started to grow in size as a fiery aura surrounded them.

"Q-quick, Eevee, get out of there!" Nick quickly called out, but was too late.

Flareon sank its teeth right into Eevee's fur, causing the normal type to cry out in pain. Fire quickly jumped off of the fangs before spreading to Eevee's whole body. The flames started to grow in size the longer Flareon was clamped on, causing even more damage to the normal type.

" _Come on, Nick, think!"_ Nick thought to himself before noticing something in Blaine's attack. "That's it... Eevee, quick, launch a shadow ball right at Flareon!"

"Ee... vee..." The normal type mustered through the intense heat as it formed the attack.

Eevee managed to lift its head upwards just enough to hit Flareon. Nick watched as the shadow ball connected head on with the fire type, but he wasn't about to get excited especially after what happened with Kingler.

The impact of the attack forced Flareon to release its grip on Eevee as it was pushed slightly backwards and gave Eevee an opening.

The young trainer noticed the opening as well and smirked at his luck. "Eevee, don't give it any time to react, fire a swift followed by a quick attack!"

"Vee!" The normal type cried out before swinging his tail across the front of his body. The stars soared across the field, connecting right into Flareon as they dispersed upon contact.

Right after, Eevee started its charge for Flareon before collapsing on the ground, shocking everyone.

"Eevee!" Nick called out as he watched his pokemon try and stand up, only to collapse again. After the second collapse, Nick noticed what was causing the normal type pain. "H-he's burned...But, how?"

Eevee managed to stand back up on the third try, but was clearly exhausted due to the strain put on him from its burn. Nonetheless, the normal type charged at Flareon, hoping that it could land a blow before the fire type recovered.

"Flareon, are you ready yet?" Blaine asked, looking down at the dazed pokemon. Seeing that it wouldn't be able to counter yet, Blaine sighed as Eevee rammed its whole body into the fire type.

Nick pumped his fist into the air after the last attack landed. "Haha! That's perfect Eevee, let's keep them on the defensive! Shadow ball, once more!"

Eevee jumped backwards as the familiar attack formed inside of its mouth. The sphere grew in size until Eevee couldn't hold onto it any longer. Deciding that it was good enough, the normal type launched the attack, but at the last second flinched due to its burn kicking in.

Nick watched as the shadow ball barely missed their target, soaring just to the left of Flareon and crashing into the wall. "So close..." Nick muttered as he bit the bottom of his lip. He then looked down at Eevee who was panting heavily. "It's best to try something else, Eevee won't last much longer at this rate. But, Flareon has also taken some decent damage..." He stated, unsure of what to do, he raised Eevee's pokeball as he thought to switch out.

"Eee, Eevee! Vee!" The normal type cried out upon seeing its pokeball. This was its match and no way was it backing down against one of its evolutions. "Eevee vee!" It continued to yell until it got Nick's attention.

"I see, you want to battle Flareon on your own." Nick said before lowering the pokeball. He then let out a light chuckle as he faced the field. "You really can be stubborn at times, you know that Eevee." He teased before flashing the evolution pokemon a smile. "Alright! Get in close with a quick attack, then shadow ball!"

Blaine started to sweat as they had no time to recover with this onslaught of attacks. "Flareon, come on, fight through this!"

"Flareeeee." The flame pokemon stated as it tried shaking off the barrage of attacks. Its legs started to shake as it forced itself into a charging position. "Flareon!"

"Perfect." Blaine said, readjusting his glasses. "Now, show them a true attack! Flare Blitz, go!" He yelled out as he pointed straight at Eevee.

Flareon broke out into a sprint as fire started to form around its body. Lighting sparked off of the fire as Flareon continued to pick up speed and collide right into the charging Eevee.

Both Pokemon were head locked until Flareon let out a powerful yell and completely overpowered Eevee. The normal type was flung backwards as Flareon continued its stampede, crushing Eevee in the process.

"Eevee!" Nick called out, seeing that the normal type fainted from the attack. He raised its pokeball as it was returned. "Thank you, you weakened it greatly. Now take a rest, you deserve one."

"Flareon!" The fire type cried out before collapsing from pain. Everyone looked over at it, only to see that it had fainted from the stress of the last attack.

"H-hey, what happened to my grandpa's pokemon?" Kegan asked as he tried getting a better view. "There was no way Eevee did that much damage."

"That's the side effect of using a move like flare blitz." Janine started to explain as she watched Flareon be recalled. "The move is so powerful, that the attacking pokemon is damaged with recoil from the attack."

"I'm guessing Blaine didn't think Eevee had tired Flareon that much when he called for that move." Samurai said, joining into the conversation. "If Eevee hadn't launched off those attacks earlier, Nick might be facing a three-on-one instead of a two-on-one. He has to be careful with whoever he picks here. It's very important."

"So, you managed to take one of my pokemon down," Blaine started to say as the lava in the volcano started to rise. "You haven't seen anything yet! Magmar, come on out!"

Nick watched as a being jumped out of the lava completely unfazed by the intense heat. _"That has to be a Magmar, their one of the few pokemon that could survive something like that."_ Nick thought to himself as he watched the pokemon fully emerge from the substance, proving his thought correct.

"Magmar is my strongest pokemon." Blaine started to brag as he patted the fire type's back. "We go way back, all the way to when I first became a trainer."

"His best..." Nick muttered as he reached for a pokeball. "I promised you a gym battle, but I never thought to put you in a corner like this." He stated as the pokeball was tossed. "Dragonair, I choose you!"

The pokeball opened up, revealing the dragon type curled up in a ball. "Dragonair..." It yawned before uncurling its body. It then looked around the area, surprised at the sight of being in a volcano.

"Dragonair, we're in a gym battle right now!" Nick yelled, cupping his hands around his mouth. "I need you to do your best!" He said, giving the dragon type a thumbs up. "Use shock wave!"

Dragonair nodded its head in approval before stretching its body to try and lose any grogginess it still had. It then opened its mouth as an electrical current formed. The attack grew before a bolt of yellow electricity shot straight for Magmar.

"Catch it." Blaine calmly stated as the blast approached.

"Mag." The spitfire pokemon nodded as he watched the streak of lighting headed straight for him. The fire type placed both of its hands in front of its body before blocking the attack head on.

Some smoke appeared as the blast collided with Magmar, but no damage was evident with the exception of a few burn marks on the fire type's hands.

"W-what?" Nick said, surprised at just how strong Magmar was. "The other pokemon he used were at least slightly affected by our attacks."

"Looks like Nick is in trouble." Samurai stated as he watched his friend think. "I don't think any of us expected Blaine to be this strong. Nick no idea what to do."

"So, what should he do?" Janine asked as they watched Nick stand there, a look of tension on his face. "We know he won't quit, but he knows it's a losing situation."

"Ughh. Think, Magmar is strong, but there has to be a weakness somewhere." Nick muttered as he watched the fire type. "Let's see how they react to this. Dragonair, use twister!"

"Dragonairrr!" The dragon pokemon cried out as it whipped up a twister. The cyclone started to pick up speed as it rocked the field back and forth.

Nick kept an eye on Magmar, curious to see if he had any weaknesses at all. "Perfect, now add a shock wave into the twister!"

"What's he trying to do?" Blaine wondered as he watched Dragonair power up the attack. "It's useless anyway. Magmar, wait until the attack gets close, then we attack."

"Mag, magmar." The fire type said, agreeing on the plan. Magmar faced back towards the field as he watched the electrical current combine with the powerful winds created by the twister.

"I get it now." Samurai stated as he pounded his fist into his palm. "The wind currents amplify the power of shockwave, giving it the chance to attack from multiple angles making it impossible for Magmar to block the attack."

"Wow, never figured that he could think of something like that." Kegan stated as he looked at the boy facing against his grandpa. "I figured he was a by the books kind of nerd, but after this battle I might be wrong."

"You're still right about him being by the books." Janine added in as she opened Nick's backpack. "He carries books around and is constantly reading them, trying to find new ideas from them."

"Try and stop it this time Blaine! Dragonair, launch the attack now!" Nick yelled as he pumped his arm into the air. This was their trump card, he knew Magmar out powered Dragonair, and so they would need to attack with everything at once.

Dragonair nodded as it launched off the electrically charged twister. Everyone watched as a miniature storm was created due to the immense power of the attack. Lightning and thunder filled the inside of the volcano as hurricane strength wind gusts blew stuff around.

"Magmar, giga impact." Blaine stated, continuing to stay calm despite his pokemon about to be in the eye of the storm.

Magmar's body started to glow white as a surge of energy filled itself. The fire type leapt right at the twister, ready to face it head on.

"W-what is he trying to do!" Nick yelled, sweat rolling down the side of his face. "Does he want his pokemon seriously hurt?"

But, to everyone's surprise, orange energy surrounded Magmar as a pinkish-purple bubble formed around Magmar. The fire type continued its trajectory before colliding with the twister and breaking right through it, now with lighting sparking off of its body.

"This can't be happening." Nick muttered as he watched the pokemon begin to nosedive right for Dragonair. "Quick, use ice beam to freeze him in place!"

Dragonair nodded in agreement as a sphere of ice charged in its mouth. "Dragonairr!" It cried out as the orb extended into a beam of ice.

The beam traveled until hitting Magmar head on. Magmar's attack started to freeze completely solid as the fire type entered a freefall. Unfortunately, the ice beam only managed to speed up the attack and make it even more powerful.

"He used all of Nick's attacks against him." Samurai cried out, he even was sweating now. "He used the twister shock wave combo to power up his giga impact and then used the ice beam to increase his mass when he entered a freefall to increase his momentum."

"Then..." Kegan began to say, eyes wide open as he watched Magmar approach.

"This is finished?" Janine asked, knowing that Kegan was about to ask that. "Yeah, unless Nick pulls something out of his hat real fast, he's done for."

"Dragonair, look out!" Nick called out to the dragon type right as Magmar collided with it.

Upon impact, the outer ice casing completely shattered as shards of ice struck Dragonair. Magmar, however, continued its attack as the giga impact right into Dragonair causing an explosion.

The smoke cleared as Dragonair was spread out against the ground, knocked out from the attack. "N-no way." Nick stuttered as he raised Dragonair's pokeball and returned the pokemon. "One hit... he beat us with one hit." Nick said, shaking at the thought. _"Maybe I won't be in the league after all. If I can't beat him, then I won't be able to earn my eighth badge. "_

"Cheer up." Blaine said as he extended a hand out to Nick. "Not everyone lasts as well against Magmar. Out of my last ten battles, only one person has managed to beat him, a boy and his Charizard."

"Yo, Grandpa, I never knew you were a gym leader!" Kegan yelled out as he ran onto the field. "That whole battle was amazing! The only thing that would make it better is if I was the one battling."

Blaine laughed as he looked at his excited grandson. "You need to slow down, you're not even old enough to be a trainer."

Kegan gave a toothy grin as he laughed with his grandpa. "But with Magby by my side we can't lose." He said, striking a pose with his pokeball in his right hand. "We're unbeatable when we work together."

"Mag...by?" Nick asked as he tilted his head, looking confused at the two relatives. "Is that like a nickname for your Magmar?"

"No." Kegan quickly replied as he opened the pokeball. "Magby is the pre-evolved form of Magmar. I hatched it from an egg that my grandpa found."

"I've never seen a pokemon like that before." Nick stated as he pulled out his pokedex. "Let's see what the pokedex has to say on it."

"Magby, the live coal pokemon. Magby is the pre-evolved form of Magmar. Despite its small size, it is a tough opponent and produces an extremely hot flame" The pokedex explained in its monotone voice.

"This must be one of those new pokemon Professor Oak told me about." Nick said before facing towards his friends. "Am I allowed to rechallenge the gym?"

Blaine was already starting to put his disguise on when he heard the question. "I wouldn't recommend it just yet. You can continue to stay at my place until you are ready, but there is a place on the island where you could train."

"Really, could we talk about this in the morning. I'd like to take this time to reflect on the battle we just had." Nick stated before walking off of the field.

* * *

 **Sorry for the long wait, but chapter 45 is finally finished. I changed the plan for how the chapters are going to play out, so now there are a few more chapters in between now and the league.**

 **So, Nick lost again and now he's questioning if he can even beat Magmar. How will this affect him in his planned rematch, but first, a training chapter. Also, Dragonair was meant to be beat that easily to show Magmar's strength.**

 **Next time: Following his beating at the hands of Blaine, Nick heads off on his own to do some training before he rechallenges the gym.**


	46. The Burning Fire of a New Ambition

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Pokemon.**

* * *

Nick laid there in his bed, tossing and turning as he tried to fall asleep. "N-no... There has to be a way..." He muttered to himself before he tossed his blankets as he rolled.

Nick woke up and felt himself really hot, sweat running down his face. To his surprise, he was back inside of the gym. In front of him was a familiar sight, it was himself with Dragonair facing off against Magmar and Blaine. Dragonair had already unleashed the powered up version of twister as lightning could be seen sparking off of it.

"There's no point!" Nick yelled at himself, only to get no response. "Just forfeit, he's too strong!" He said, running up to himself only to fall right through his body.

"W-why can't I stop him..." Nick wondered as he looked out onto the field.

"Magmar use giga impact!" Blaine called out as the spitfire pokemon jumped into the air.

Nick watched as Magmar was surrounded by an orange energy before a pinkish-purple bubble before crashing right into the twister and pushing his way right through it.

"Use ice beam!" The second Nick yelled out, but before the real Nick could see the rest be completed, he was startled awake.

* * *

Nick opened his eyes as he saw that his whole body was now on the floor, having rolled off of the bed during his dream. Looking up, he noticed that Kegan was standing over him.

"Hey, you alright?" He asked as he looked at the sheets thrown all around and the boy on the ground. "We all heard a thud from below and they sent me to check on you." He explained, putting his hands behind his head. "I said it'd be better if we just left you alone, but they said no."

"Uh, yeah, I'm fine." Nick said as he sat up and rubbed a slight lump on his head. "I just had a strange dream, that's all."

Kegan leaned against the door as he stared at the trainer. "It was about Magmar, wasn't it?"

Nick's face immediately drooped once he heard the name of that pokemon. "H-how'd you know?"

Kegan laughed as he pointed at the boy. "Well, when I walked in you were on the ground yelling that it was hopeless and that he's too strong." He explained, throwing his hands around to add emphasis. "I figured it was about your match from yesterday. Lighten up, it's just one match."

Nick shook his head as he grabbed his red and black hat with a white half pokeball in the center off of the night stand. "You don't understand... This is the last badge I need. If I can't find a way to beat your grandpa, then I won't be able to enter the league." He explained before walking out of the room slowly.

"What's his problem?" Kegan asked himself before shrugging his shoulders and following the boy. "He really needs to lighten up."

"Glad to see you finally awake." Samurai teased as he grabbed a piece of toast. "We already ate most of the breakfast, so grab whatever is left."

"Yeah, ok." Nick muttered as he reached for a plate. He then faced towards Blaine, who was at the end of the table. "You said something about a place to train earlier, where is it?"

Blaine smirked as he wiped his mouth clean. "So, you are interested in training for a rematch. After last night, I didn't think you were coming back." He said, eyeing the trainer as he sipped his coffee. "The training spot isn't too far from here. Maybe a half hour or so by foot. It's hard to miss, just head south from the hotel."

"Thanks, I'll get going now." Nick said, pushing his chair out and heading straight for the door. "I'll be back later tonight, don't wait around for me."

"B-but, you just woke up. You should at least eat something!" Janine said as both herself and Samurai followed him to the door. "At least let us come to help."

"No." He replied before opening the door. "I'm grateful for all the help in my previous matches, but I need to do this by myself. Like Blaine said, if I can't beat him, how do I expect to do well at the League? " He explained before walking out of the hotel and starting his trek.

"What's his deal?" Kegan asked before taking a bite out of his pancake. "It's lighke he gis deplessed." He said with his mouth full. He then quickly swallowed and tried again. "I mean, it's like he's depressed."

"That's Nick," Samurai replied as he shut the front door. "When we first started to travel together, he made easy work of almost every trainer he faced. He thought that with his knowledge alone he'd be fine. Lately though, he's lost quite a few important battles and every time he gets down on himself."

Kegan took a sip of his milk as he listened to Samurai. Once finished, the boy placed his cup down and stared at the trainer. "Honestly, he sounds like a drama queen." He said before placing his hands on his face. "Oh poor me, I lost a match, whatever will I do? Maybe cry myself to sleep because I don't realize I can't win every battle." Kegan said, trying to mock the trainer that just left.

"You should be nicer to people, this is why you have no friends!" Blaine yelled as he smacked his grandson over the head. "I'm sorry for my grandson. He says what is on his mind, not taking into consideration other people's feelings."

"It's fine." Janine said, waving off the whole situation. "He's right though, Nick thinks no one can beat him. We already had to knock him down a peg before."

"R-really? When?" Samurai asked as he looked at his friend in confusion.

Janine chuckled as she scratched the side of her cheek. "That's right, we never told you about it. Back in Vermillion City, we ran into A.J and asked him to push Nick's buttons. Once he did that, we asked if he could try and destroy Nick in a battle just to lower his ego."

"Why wasn't I informed? I could have helped A.J out, really get Nick upset if you get what I mean." Samurai said as he looked at his companion.

"That's exactly why we didn't say anything. Ebony thought you would ruin the whole plan if you got involved." Janine admitted truthfully as Samurai seemed to be hurt by the revelation.

Blaine nodded his head as he followed along to the story. "I see, so this boy has an ego problem. And once his ego gets squashed he drops into a depressed like state. Was it obvious before?"

"No, that's the thing. It didn't really show up until after losing in Vermillion. At the time, his ego was at its highest." Samurai explained as he recounted Nick's matches against Koga, Sabrina, Zach, Lt. Surge and A.J. "But, I do know that he had a low self-esteem as a kid due to the kids in Pallet Town practically shunning him."

"Hmm, kids not playing with him." Blaine said as he rubbed his chin. "It sounds familiar, doesn't it, Kegan?" He asked his grandson, only to realize that the boy was gone. "K-Kegan, where'd you go?"

* * *

"That guy, who does he think he is..." Kegan muttered as he followed the path that Nick had set out on earlier. "Doesn't he realize there's always someone better than you out there? He'll realize it once Magby and I wipe the floor with him. Then he'll learn that the best trainer ever is Kegan!" He yelled, pumping his fists in the air out of excitement.

"Magby?" The live coal pokemon asked, tilting his head in confusion. The pokemon really did look like a miniature Magmar, with the only difference being the shape of its head and the size of its body.

"Yeah, I can already see the look on his face once we secretly attack him." Kegan said as he started to picture the battle. "I'll be all, Magby use ember! And then you'll fire the attack and destroy his whole team because that's how strong we really are!"

Magby let out a nervous chuckle as sweat started to run down the back of his head. He knew Kegan dreamed big, but Magby also knew that they'd stand no chance against someone like Nick. Well, at least for now. "Mag, magby mag!" It cried out, waving his arms in frustration.

Kegan smiled at the fire type before rubbing its head. "Yeah, I'm excited too. This guy needs a good lesson in humility and it'll come from the greatest trainer ever."

A rustling sound from some nearby bushes startled the duo as Magby decided to investigate. "Magby, mag?" It asked, about to pear into the bush.

"Magby wait!" Kegan yelled out as a grin passed over his face. "That's probably Nick, let's attack him now!" He said, rubbing his hands together before looking at his partner. "Use ember!"

Magby sighed before firing off the attack. Small round balls of fire shot out of its mouth, striking the bush and lighting it on fire. After a few seconds, the live coal pokemon stopped the attack and started to pant.

"Yeah, that was great, Magby!" Kegan yelled out as he picked up the fire type. "Let's go see the surprised look on his face before we attack again." He said, looking through the remains of the bush.

To his surprise, it hadn't been Nick at all, but instead was a wild Pidgey. The tiny bird pokemon sat there on the ground, crying from its injuries. This Pidgey seemed different, due to the fact that it was much smaller than others of its kind.

"Huh, that must be a baby..." Kegan muttered before flexing his arms. "But, we took care of it. Doesn't matter how many of them there are, we could defeat them all!"

The wild Pidgey however was not amused as it sat there, crying over the fact that he was attacked. "P-pidgey, geee! Pidgeyyy!" It cried out loudly, causing Kegan and Magby to cover their ears.

"W-what's that thing trying to do, make me go deaf!?" Kegan asked no one in particular. The young child was about to have Magby attack again, but that was when he noticed a horde of the tiny bird pokemon along with a Pidgeotto hanging from the trees. "Magby, don't make any sudden movements."

"Magby, mag." The fire type agreed as the duo moved away slowly. They continued to slowly back away from the hundred staring eyes, but before they were far away, Kegan stepped on a branch. The noise that came from the snapping branch caused the flying types to attack.

"Run!" Kegan screamed from the top of his lungs, grabbing Magby in his hands before making a mad dash out of there.

* * *

"Hmm, this must be the place, Eevee." Nick said as the duo reached what looked to be a destroyed building. "I'm going to assume that some strong pokemon live here!" He said, somewhat uninterested in the situation.

The duo started to make their way towards the front doors when Eevee's ear peaked up. "Vee? Eevee, vee." It said, facing in the direction that they had just come from.

"Yeah, I heard it also." Nick replied soberly before seeing Kegan jump out of the pathway. "What are you doing here!?" He yelled while jumping out of the way of Kegan.

"No time to talk, angry Pidgeys! Run if you know what's best!" He yelled as he ran into the building without even thinking.

"What is his problem?" Nick asked himself, only to see a flock of Pidgey surround him. "I guess these are the Pidgey he mentioned. Now what?" He said as he felt a gust of wind appear.

"Geoottoooo!" The leader cried out as he landed in the middle of the flock opposite of Nick and Eevee. The bird pokemon stared down Nick, confusing him for Kegan.

"Listen, whatever that boy did, I'm sorry." Nick began, placing his hands in front of his body defensively. "I don't personally know him, but I think he can be rambunctious."

Pidgeotto wasn't accepting Nick's half-assed apology as the flying type flew right at the trainer. Having no time to properly react, Nick dropped to the ground, just dodging the incoming attack.

"Woah that was a fast tackle attack..." Nick muttered as he brushed dirt off of his sweatshirt. Standing up, Nick saw that the flying type was coming back around again. Thinking quickly, Nick looked at the path to the abandoned building and noticed that it was now blocked by Pidgey. "Eevee, these guys are fast. Aim a swift right in this direction." He explained as he pointed right at the building.

"Eevee, vee!" Eevee cried out before sweeping its tail across its body. A trail of stars followed the motion as they flew right into some of the Pidgey, causing them to fall on impact.

Nick then scooped Eevee up into his arms before he made a dash for the building. "I'm sorry about that!" He yelled, passing by the fainted Pidgeys.

"Geotto!" The leader cried out once more before flying right at Nick again. This time however, Pidgeotto had a trail of white light behind him as he flew.

"Ahh, not good!" Nick yelled as he peered over his shoulder. "That's a quick attack. Only a matter of time before he catches us." He said, looking down at Eevee as the front door grew closer.

Kegan, seeing the situation, opened the door right as Nick dove through them. In the confusion, Pidgeotto managed to swipe Nick's hat from his head before he made it into the building. Seeing no point in continuing, Pidgeotto let out a cry signaling to retreat for now.

"That sure was close." Kegan said as he helped Nick off of the ground. "Next time, you should really listen to me when I tell you to run."

"There won't be a next time." Nick said as he reached down to the ground, looking for his hat. "Wh-where's my hat?" Nick asked, sounding as if he was about to cry. "Where is it!" He was now frantically searching for it as he looked around the whole area.

"That dumb hat of yours? I saw that Pidgeotto fly off with it." Kegan said before feeling himself being lifted off the ground. "Hey, take it easy there, it's just some dumb hat."

"It isn't just any hat." Nick started to explain before he dropped Kegan. "That hat is a replica of the hat worn by the greatest trainer ever, Red, the pride of Pallet Town. I had that specially made but with my favorite colors! Do you know how hard it was to have that made, it isn't something that can be replaced."

"Wait, as in Red, the former champion, Red?" Kegan asked as he picked himself up off the ground. "Some idol you have. The guy couldn't handle being champion and quit."

"That is not true." Nick said, standing up for his idol. "Red grew bored with the fact that he couldn't travel like before. To allow himself that freedom, he rescinded his position and offered it to his best friend and rival, Blue. Since then, Red has travelled all over Kanto becoming even stronger. He is probably the strongest trainer who has ever lived!"

"I still think it's dumb. First you cry over losing a battle, now you cry over losing your hat. Is there anything you don't cry about?" Kegan muttered as he looked out the window. "Even though Pidgeotto is gone, those Pidgey still look angry. I think we'll be stuck here for a while."

"Great..." Nick said as he sulked. "I came here to train to get stronger. Instead, I lose my priceless hat, get stuck here with you and still won't be able to enter the league."

Kegan placed his hands behind his head as he started to lean against the door. "See, there you go again, getting all depressed. It really is annoying, I'm surprised your friends put up with you."

Nick just stood there, staring at the boy in front of him. "What would you understand about any of this? You've done nothing but bother me ever since I met you. Come on, Eevee, we need to train." He said, balling his fists before walking deeper into the building. "Stay there and wait until my training is finished."

Kegan sat down on the ground, pouting at the trainer who just left. "Who does he think he is!?" Kegan yelled as he threw a rock at the wall. "Magby, we'll show him. Let's go after him!" He said, jumping up off the ground, fists raised.

Kegan began to follow the straight passage way until he came to a spot where the path split off into two directions, one leading to stairs going up and the other with its own set of stairs but heading down instead. "I wonder what way he could have went." Kegan asked as he looked at the stairs before he decided to head upstairs. "Get ready, Magby. Once we find him, we'll beat him in a battle!"

"Magby, mag..." The fire type muttered as he slowly followed his trainer, knowing that this was a bad idea.

"Just picture his face when we swoop in and land a powerful ember attack." The young boy said, smiling at the picture in his head. "It'll be just like before, but instead of a Pidgey, it'll be Nick. This is going to be great!" He cried out, rubbing his hands together out of joy.

The live coal pokemon just shrugged his shoulders, following the energetic trainer up the stairs. "Magby, magby, mag..." He continued to complain as he started to twirl is three fingers.

* * *

"Come on, Eevee, we need to work on your speed!" Nick yelled as his partner started to charge against a rock. "I know you're competitive, we need to grow stronger to beat that Flareon. Increasing your speed should help your strength."

"Eevee, vee..." The normal type cried out as it started to run as fast as his legs would carry him. The evolution pokemon collided right into the rock, bouncing off of it effortlessly as if it was made of rubber.

"Come on, I know you can generate more speed than that." Nick said, trying to encourage his pokemon. "I believe in you, that's why I didn't switch you out. I guarantee you, we'll become stronger together, all of us." He said before releasing the other five pokemon on hand.

Nick looked at his six pokemon with a serious look before getting on his knees so that he was eye level with them. "We're all so close," he started before pulling out his seven badges. "We have all worked so hard to get this far, I won't hold us back any longer. I know we're all very competitive, but, I've taken it easy recently. Outside of practice battles, we really haven't trained, but that stops now!" He said, raising off of his knees, fists pumped, and enthusiasm in his voice. "Starting today, we take our training seriously. I know I made a similar promise back in Vermillion City, but, it feels like I haven't kept my end of the promise." He explained as he stared at each of his pokemon. Before another word was spoken, Nick let a small smile cross over his face. "I just had to get this off my chest."

Nick stood there speechless as he watched all of his pokemon, minus a sleeping Dragonair, throw their fists up onto the air as they cried out in agreement. "Thank you, everyone..." Nick muttered before he placed his hand under his chin. "Alright, Blaine's pokemon are both fast and strong. We'll need to work on improving in those areas as well. Luckily for us, this place has become the home of many fire types and because of that it is pretty warm in here. We can use this heat to simulate the inside of the volcano." He explained before breaking them up into groups.

The groups were simple for now, Kingler was to work on his aim and speed for his attacks by aiming for Gastly, who was phasing in and out of locations and Charizard was working on perfecting a new move while Hitmonchan countered it with his speed. Dragonair was the only pokemon not to train, choosing to sleep instead. Eevee continued working with Nick on trying to find a way to get faster.

"Kingler, don't aim for Gastly as she phases out, try to listen for it then aim for where she reemerges." Nick explained as he took his eyes off of Eevee's training for a few seconds to check up on the others. "There's no point in trying to out speed someone way faster. You need to use your strengths to overcome that. Focus on your accuracy instead."

Charizard continued his individual training, starting to grow upset that he couldn't hit Hitmonchan. The fire type started to flap his wings as blades started to form in the wind he created. Hitmonchan however, managed to dodge every one of them with little effort as the blades started to break apart before they reached the punching pokemon. The flame pokemon raised his head before launching a flamethrower off towards the ceiling, letting off some steam.

Nick looked at the fire type before walking over to the pokemon. "Charizard, it's alright," Nick began as he patted the flame pokemon on the back. "No one masters a move right away. It'll take some time still. Just keep practicing and soon you'll get the hang of it." He said before walking across from the pokemon. "Come on, try hitting me with your attack," He said before smirking. "If you can that is."

"Rawwrrr!" The fire type yelled as he launched a flamethrower into the air again. He then planted his feet into the ground, causing cracks in it. He then opened his wings before flapping them at an incredible rate. A breeze started to form in the room before it picked up into a small gust. Eventually, the gusts started to disappear and blades started to form in their place.

"See, that's better." Nick said as he tried dodging a few of them. "I know you can put more into them, show me your true strength." The trainer said, edging Charizard on. The fire type fell for it as he created an even stronger breeze, causing the blades to gain speed. "I knew you weren't trying earlier," Nick started before one of the blades hit his arm, cutting his shirt. "Okay, okay, that's enough for me... I don't want to get all messed up before we challenge Blaine."

* * *

"H-hey, Magby, there's Nick," The boy said as they looked down the hallway. "But, what's he doing?"

"Alright, Eevee, hit me with everything you've got." The trainer said as he braced his body for the quick attack. "Don't hold back, like I said, we're all training for the league. I won't hold any of us back from our dream. We are winning the Pokemon League!"

"H-he actually has his pokemon attack him?" Kegan stuttered as he watched with both amazement and confusion over Nick's actions. "I-I think... I think I understand why he takes losing so hard," He began before placing a hand on Magby's head. "He's like us, very competitive and so are his pokemon. It makes sense why his Eevee didn't want to switch out yesterday. He isn't depressed over losing, but he feels like he let his pokemon down."

"I know guys, someone will always be stronger than us, but that's why we train! To become stronger than everyone else!" Nick shouted as Eevee rammed his head right into Nick's stomach, causing him to bend over. "B-better, but try to get a little more push off from your legs."

"Magby, mag. Magby!" The live coal pokemon stated as he waved his arms in the air. He was trying to tell Kegan that there was no way they could fight him now. "Magbyyy!"

Kegan laughed as he watched the fire type flail around. "I know, I know. We can't bother them now, especially after seeing how serious they are. But, I have an idea to help him out. We're going to recover his hat." The boy explained, smiling from ear to ear.

Magby sighed as he thought about looking for that Pidgeotto, but before he could complain he was already being dragged away. "Mag... mag, magby mag..." It sighed, letting itself be pulled back down the stairs.

"Now, how are we going to find that Pidgeotto?" Kegan asked his pokemon as they stared at the flock of Pidgey flying around. "We can't even get out the front door, how are we going to do this?" He asked himself before looking around. Staring down the hallway, Kegan remembered about the second set of stairs and tried that way. "Magby, maybe there's a second exit somewhere in the basement, let's try it."

"Hmm, these are the exact books we were looking for." A man dressed in all black stated as he flipped through a slightly burnt book. "To think, even after everything that happened in this building, they would just carelessly leave all of this here."

A second person quickly slapped him over the back of his head. "Careful with those books, do you see the condition they're in. Now hurry up and get the rest of them." The second person, a female also dressed in all black stated as she also packed away some of the books.

"Do you really think any of this information is useful anymore? It's been years since the original experiment occurred." The man explained as he gently placed another notebook in the bag, trying not to damage it.

"Idiot, do you not remember the success they had just recently." The woman explained as she sneezed after a cloud of dust entered her nose. "The last try was a success, but their notes were destroyed in the fire. We need the original ones to recreate the experiment."

Just then, Kegan started to climb down the stairs as the duo continued their thievery. "Come on, Magby, don't worry so much," He stated as they made their way down the hallway.

"Magby, mag!" The fire type said, pulling on Kegan's shirt. Magby didn't have a good feeling about this and there was a good reason why.

"Hey Magby, did you hear something?" Kegan asked as they turned towards an open door. "Whatever it was, it sounded like it came from in here," He said, walking into the room and meeting the two people. "Hey! Who are you two? I thought this was abandoned?"

The man started to sweat at the sight of Kegan. "Psst, I thought you said no one ever came here. You said this was an easy job!"

The woman sighed as she stared between her partner and Kegan. "The information said it was abandoned. It obviously didn't take into account any children who skip school." She explained before facing the young boy. Putting on a fake smile, she bent over to be eye level with him. "Hi there, we were sent here by a group of historians. You see, this place has a lot of history on Kanto and we're recovering any books that are in here." She explained, flipping through the books as a picture of two people fell out of a page.

Kegan stared at the picture with an interesting look on his face. The picture had two people in it, one male and one female. The male had the same messy black hair as Kegan, but it was cut shorter than what his was at. He was dressed in a long sleeved, beige polo along with brown khakis. On his head was a safari hat. Next to him stood a woman about his height. She had on the exact same clothes, minus the hat.

Kegan reached for the dropped picture and took a closer look at it. Something about it seemed familiar. After a few seconds, it finally hit him, they were his parents. "W-what are my parent's picture doing in this book?"

The two thieves could only smile amongst themselves. "So, you mean these two are your parents?" He asked before receiving a head nod. "Then that makes you Blaine's grandson, right?" He asked again, receiving the same response.

"So what if I'm Blaine's grandson. Why would that matter?" He managed to ask before being grabbed by the second thieve. "Hey! What do you think you're doing, let me go!"

"Quiet down kid," The woman stated as she covered Kegan's mouth with her hand. "We won't hurt you or anything, we just want to talk to your grandfather about some of his research. You see, he helped write some of these books here."

"Yes, we just want to talk to him." The man added in, rubbing his hands together. "But, we've asked for interviews only to get declined. This time, we have you as leverage."

Kegan started to sweat from the way these two people were acting. Thinking quickly, he bit the hand covering his mouth before yelling at Magby. "Magby, get Nick! Get him quick, please!" He managed to yell out before his mouth was covered again.

"Why, you..." The woman said before slapping Kegan across the back of his head. "I'll teach you to bite me!"

"Don't worry about the kid, make sure that pokemon doesn't mess up our plans! Stop him!" The man yelled as he dove for Magby, only to have the fire type jump out of the way.

"Magby, mag, magby, mag..." It stuttered as he ran back up the stairs.

* * *

"Hmm, that's strange," Nick stated as he heard footsteps running his way. "Blaine said this place was empty with the exception of pokemon, but I hear something running this way in what sounds to be a panic." He said raising five pokeballs. "Everyone, return!" He cried out, returning all of his pokemon, except Eevee back into their pokeballs.

"Magby, mag... Magby, mag..." The fire type panted as he ran up the stairs and right into Nick's leg. Seeing that it was Nick, Magby quickly jumped up and tried to pull him to Kegan.

"Oh, it's just Magby," Nick stated as he looked around for Kegan. "Where's Kegan? You two aren't trying to surprise attack me, are you?"

Magby shook his head vigorously as he continued to pull on Nick's shorts. "Magby, mag! Magby, mag!" It yelled out while pointing at the stairs.

Sensing something was wrong with Magby, Nick decided to follow. "Alright, I'm trusting you, but if this is a trick you guys better be ready to handle my revenge."

"Now listen up, kid," The man started to say as he grabbed the last of the books. "You're very useful to our plans. In fact, our boss will be pretty happy to meet you."

"Yeah, it isn't every day he gets to meet someone so famous in the scientific community." The second person added in as they finished tying up the young boy. "Now, you behave nicely, we're leaving right now," the woman said, picking up the sack of books while the man lifted up Kegan.

"Hey!" Nick yelled out as he ran down the stairs, Magby and Eevee right behind him. "What do you think you're doing? Let Kegan go!"

"Magby!" The fire type stated as he shot out a few embers at the thieves.

"You're all getting in the way," The woman said as she threw a pokeball. "Koffing, use smog!" The pokeball opened up and reveal a Koffing, but the view of the poison type disappeared immediately as the room was filled with a greenish gas. The two thieves immediately used this as a chance to escape and started to run away.

"Oh... no you... don't!" Nick yelled in between coughs. He quickly reached for a pokeball and tossed it out, revealing his Charizard. "Charizard, blow away this smog with your wings!"

Charizard nodded in agreement before flapping its wings. A light breeze started to pick up as the smog was blown away, revealing that the duo were already gone.

"They got away!" Nick said in frustration before punching the wall. He quickly raised Charizard's pokeball before returning the fire type to it. "Charizard, return," He said as Charizard was recalled into the device. "Come on, Eevee, Magby, they aren't getting away."

Nick ran down the hallway until he hit a dead end. "How did they get out of here?" He asked himself as he looked around the wall until his eyes landed on a window. "There! They must have used that window!"

Nick quickly pushed the window open as he lifted Eevee and Magby outside before climbing out himself. He quickly looked around, making sure the flock of angry Pidgey weren't around before they followed the footprints.

"Come on, this way!" Nick told the two pokemon before sprinting in the direction of the footprints. "Don't worry, Kegan, we're coming."

As the three continued their sprint after the thieves, Nick heard a familiar cry fill the woods. Just as he looked over his shoulder, he saw the same Pidgeotto from before flying right at them. "Geottoooo!" It cried out, just missing a ducking Nick. The flying type still had his hat held in its talons. Pidgeotto swooped back around before landing in front of Nick, blocking the path.

Nick glared at the flying type blocking his path before speaking up. "Listen, I'm in a rush. I understand you're angry, but can we settle this another time? My friend is in danger," Nick explained as he tried to walk past Pidgeotto, only to be blocked by an outstretched wing. "Please, just let me by..." Nick pleaded as he stared at the flying type.

Pidgeotto stared back at the boy, sensing that he was telling the truth. The bird pokemon lowered its wings and looked as if he was going to allow Nick to pass by. The flying type then raised his head and let out a deafening cry. "Geottooooo!"

Nick covered his ears as the noise was too painful for his ears. "Ahh," He stated, dropping down onto his knees. "I thought you were going to let us pass..."

Soon, the entire flock of Pidgey arrived and surrounded Nick. The flock looked at their leader for any instructions on how to attack, but received only a blank stare from the bird pokemon.

"Geotto, pidgeotto." It stated to the flock as it pointed its wings in multiple directions. Soon, the flock nodded their heads before breaking up into smaller groups and headed in the same directions.

"A-are... you helping us?" Nick asked, receiving a nod of approval from Pidgeotto. Nick couldn't help but smile at the flying type's kindness despite the way that Kegan had attacked its flock earlier. "Thank you," He said before following the footprints again, this time with Pidgeotto flying above them.

* * *

"You won't get away with this," Kegan stated as he tried to break free of the rope. "My grandpa will get you for this. Either that, or Nick will find you."

The two thieves rolled their eyes at the boy's statement. "Tell me again, why didn't we tape his mouth shut?" The woman asked as she placed the bag of books into their boat.

"We didn't have any at the time. Besides, I assumed he'd try and fight more if we taped his mouth." The man replied as he tossed the tied up Kegan into the back of the boat. "Now, let's get out of here."

"Stop right there!" Nick yelled as he ran right towards the parked boat. It was parked on the far side of the island, making it easy to get away. "Give us back Kegan, Eevee, use swift!"

"Eevee, eei!" It cried out, sweeping its tail across its body.

Stars formed out of thin air and were aimed right for the thieves. Luckily, they dodged the attack, but what they weren't expecting was for the boat to be hit. Looking behind them, they could see holes now lining the side of their boat, making it almost impossible to use it.

"Why you," The man said, tossing a pokeball out. "I'll make you pay for that. Koffing, use flamethrower!"

"Koffing!" The poison type stated as it popped out of the device. To the surprise of Nick, it opened its mouth, shooting off the fire attack.

Nick was about to give a command to Eevee, but the wild Pidgeotto cut in. Swooping down, the flying type dug its wing into the ground before tossing sand right at the fire. It then quickly flapped its wings, creating a strong enough breeze, when combined with the sand to extinguish the flames.

" _Look at that..."_ Nick thought as he watched the fire type move be put out by Pidgeotto's quick thinking. _"If I use that strategy against Blaine..."_ He then watched as the bird pokemon collided right into Koffing, sending it backwards and right into its trainer's arms.

"You know, you two remind me of Team Rocket," Nick mentioned as he pointed at the duo. "Using poison types, the black uniforms, all you're missing are the red Rs on the front of your shirts." He said, counting off the similarities.

"You're a smart boy, but you've learned too much today," The woman stated as she tossed a pokeball. "We'll have to fix that. Vileplume, show them your stun spore!"

The pokeball opened up, revealing the plant pokemon. Without another word, the grass type started to shoot spores from the middle of its flower. The golden colored spores surrounded Nick and Pidgeotto as they tried to not breathe them in.

"Geotto!" The flying cried out as it started to flap its wings. He continued this until a gust of wind was created that was strong enough to blow away the spores.

"Vileplume, once more!" The woman cried out, pointing straight at the flying type.

The man also joined in as he tossed his Koffing back into the battle. "Koffing, use smog!"

The two pokemon launched their respective attacks, making it impossible to see. The cloud of smog impaired Nick's vision, making him unable to help Pidgeotto. He tried to yell out a command to Eevee, but once he opened his mouth, he started to cough on the smog.

"Geotto!" The flying type cried out before a thud was heard. Nick could tell that it was attacked somewhere in the smog.

"Pidgeotto, are you alright!?" Nick yelled out, only getting silence as a response. He quickly reached for a pokeball on his clip and tossed it out onto the field. "Charizard. Blow this smoke away!"

The fire type landed with a loud thud on the ground as he started to blow away the smog once more. Once it was gone, Nick could see that Pidgeotto had been paralyzed by the stun spore and was now being attacked by the two pokemon.

"Attacking a pokemon when it's down! Don't you two have any morals?" Nick asked as he glared at the duo. He then moved his head so he was facing their pokemon instead. "Charizard, use flamethrower! Eevee, use shadow ball!"

The two pokemon nodded in agreement as they launched their respective attacks. Eevee launched off its shadow ball first, followed by Charizard's flamethrower, the effect causing the shadow ball to be sped up by the flamethrower pushing it from behind. The two attacks collided right into Vileplume and Koffing, sending the two pokemon right at their trainers.

"Charizard, end this with a flamethrower!" Nick yelled as he shot his arm right at the duo.

The fire type opened its mouth as the trail of fire emerged. In a second, the four were consumed by the flames before an explosion occurred, sending them flying.

Nick smiled as he wiped some sweat off of his forehead. "Good job, guys," Nick said, praising his two pokemon. He then quickly walked over to Kegan, untying the boy. "Kegan, what happened earlier? How did they grab you?" Nick asked as he undid each knot.

"Well, I was trying to find a way to get out of the building," Kegan began to explain, only stopping so he could reposition his body to allow Nick to untie him. "To try and find Pidgeotto so I could get your hat back. I saw how hard you guys were training and I thought if I could get your hat back then it would help you out."

"Why would you think that?" Nick thought as he slowly walked over to the injured Pidgeotto, checking to see if it was alright. "It's just a hat, I'm fine without it."

Kegan rubbed the back of his neck as he thought about his answer. "Well, you seemed pretty upset over losing it. I figured you'd be excited to see it and put even more effort into training."

"That hat is just a hat," Nick started to explain as he pulled out a Cheri berry and fed it to the flying type. "I only care about it because it's just like Red's. You see, I've never told anyone this, but he's my idol and one day I plan on surpassing him." Nick stated as Pidgeotto started to stand up.

"Pidgeottoo!" It softly cried, managing to stand on his own feet before collapsing.

"Hey, take it easy. You probably took a lot of damage from that battle," Nick said, pulling out an Oran berry this time. "Eat this, it'll help you get your strength back."

Pidgeotto looked at the berry in Nick's hand, inspecting it out of curiosity. Just hours ago, he had attacked Nick, but now that same boy was helping him. "Pidgeoo." It softly said before taking the berry in its beak.

Pidgeotto felt its strength return to its body and managed to stand up properly. The bird pokemon then dropped Nick's hat from its talons before facing the boy. "Geotto, pidgeot!" It cried, flapping its wings in front of the boy.

"I think I understand," Nick muttered as he reached for a pokeball. "You want a battle, well, we'll have one right now. Eevee, I choose you!" He said, letting go of the pokeball in his hand and instead using his partner. "Start off with a quick attack!"

"Vee!" The normal type cried out before dashing right at Pidgeotto. Eevee lunged at the bird pokemon, but was unable to get high enough in the air to hit it.

Pidgeotto countered the attack with its own tackle attack, hitting Eevee right on its side. The hit threw Eevee right into the ground and it seemed to be hurt a little.

"Eevee, can you continue?" Nick asked as he walked up to his pokemon. Before Nick could reach it, Eevee was already up on all four of its legs and ready to continue. "Great, now let's try a swift."

This time, Eevee swung its tail and once more, the familiar stars were created from thin air. Pidgeotto watched as the attack approached it, but managed to dodge it with a quick attack.

"What speed..." Nick muttered as he watched Pidgeotto weave around the gold stars. "But, that won't matter, swift never misses!" He reminded himself just as the stars started to hit the flying type.

"Geotto!" It cried out as the stars exploded upon contact with his body. The flying type stopped its attack as he flew higher up into the sky before starting a free fall type descent with a white light trailing behind it.

"This is it," Nick said, looking over at Eevee. "Wait until the last possible second, then dodge."

Eevee nodded in approval as he stood his ground. The flying type was getting closer and closer, picking up speed as he dropped in altitude. Finally, the bird pokemon was mere feet away from Eevee.

Nick watched as Eevee stood his ground, proud of how far they had come since their first dat. "Alright, use dig!"

Eevee started to dig a hole, managing to get deep enough to fit its whole body into it. Pidgeotto looked on in confusion as the normal type had disappeared.

Pidgeotto tried to stop itself, but its momentum was too strong, causing the flying type to crash into a tree. Now dazed and confused, Nick saw his chance. "Eevee, one more swift!"

Eevee jumped out of its hole before launching another swift attack. This time, every star landed directly. The flying type cried out in pain as he tried to get back up, but was too tired.

"Alright, pokeball, go!" Nick yelled as he threw an empty pokeball right at the bird pokemon. Nick watched as the device connected with Pidgeotto, sucking the creature into the sphere. With a thud, the pokeball landed on the ground before it started to shake. _"Come on..."_ He thought to himself as Pidgeotto continued to fight the capture.

"Ding," the noise was heard from the pokeball, signaling that Pidgeotto was caught.

Nick walked over to the pokeball and picked it up with his hand. "Alright! I caught a, Pidgeotto!" He stated as the ball vanished from his hand. "So, that's how they get transferred." He muttered, having learnt that you could only have six pokemon on hand.

"N-Nick, here's your hat!" Kegan said, having saw Pidgeotto drop it before their battle. "I wiped some of the dust off, but it's still kind of dirty."

"Thanks," Nick said before grabbing the hat from the boy. He then gave Kegan a smile as he placed the hat back on his head. "It feels much better wearing a hat than not wearing one. Now, we should be heading back, it's getting kind of late." Nick said, pointing at the setting sun.

"Yeah!" Kegan said before picking Magby up. "Thanks Magby for helping me out. We always seem to get into trouble, don't we?"

"Magby, mag..." The live coal pokemon muttered, sighing once he felt relieved that the day was over.

"But first, I'm taking these books back with me," Nick said, grabbing the bag of notebooks out of the boat. "They must be important for them to go out of their way for them."

* * *

"So, you two couldn't get those books?" Proton asked as he threw the male grunt across the room. "It was abandoned building! No one else was there!"

"B-but, executive Proton, there was a trainer there as well." The female grunt explained, sweating at the thought of Proton's rage.

"A trainer, what was he wearing?" Proton asked as he grew interested, wondering if it was the same boy who ruined Petrel's chance at Articuno.

"He was dressed in a gray T-shirt with red shorts." The female grunt responded as she flinched once Proton threw a chair against the wall. "He also had the grandson of Blaine with him."

Proton frowned at the description, it didn't fit at all. "Blaine? As in the scientist who helped create the formula to clone Mew? No wonder you were stopped, Blaine is one of the strongest trainers in Kanto."

"W-well, Blaine wasn't there, just his grandson." The male stated as he stood back up. He quickly covered his face as he saw Proton pull his whip out.

Before Proton could hit him however, a new person entered the room. "My, Proton, I don't understand how you remain the grunt's favorite. Especially after you treat them this way."

Proton smirked as he saw his fellow admin. "It's because they all wish they were me. You've seen my anger, any person in Team Rocket would want it. It's terrifying."

"Yes it is, but, there's no need to take it out on these two." Petrel stated as he looked at the two grunts. "Yes, it's their fault for failing the mission, but I told you in the first place that it was a stupid plan. We don't need to recreate a second clone."

"I understand that, but if we had that information, we could have cloned any pokemon we wanted. Imagine what the Boss would say when we handed him an army of the rarest pokemon in Kanto!" Proton explained as his grip tightened on his whip. "Besides, my contact from earlier still hasn't got back to me and I'm getting annoyed!" He yelled, his whip crashing down on the table causing it to shatter.

"Have patience," Petrel said as he left the room. "Boss didn't build Team Rocket in one day, something this great takes time."

* * *

Nick was now resting back at Blaine's hotel having completed his training earlier in the day. Now late at night, Nick got out of his bed quietly, making sure not to wake anyone. He then left the room with his backpack and headed down the hall until he reached Blaine's room. Nick knocked on the door just loud enough to get Blaine's attention, but no one else.

"Y-yes..." He tiredly stated as he opened the door. He was dressed in a pair of shorts and a T-shirt, a sight Nick wasn't used to. "Oh, Nick, if this is about your gym match tomorrow, we can talk about it in the morning..." Blaine started, only to be cut off by Nick.

"It's important," he said, showing Blaine the inside of his backpack. "I found these books at your old lab. I didn't want to get anyone else involved, so I waited until now."

"You might as well come in," Blaine stated as he waved the trainer into his room. The gym leader grabbed a chair and placed it down for Nick. "Grab a seat, you'll want it."

"So, you were once part of Team Rocket?" Nick asked, still not believing everything that he was told. "And these notes you wrote... are about creating cloned pokemon?"

Blaine sighed at the questions, knowing just how wrong it made him look. "It's a long story, but I never knew what Team Rocket was when they approached myself, my daughter and my two close friends, Dr. Fuji and Dr. Smith. They offered us a way to change the world through the use of scientifically creating Pokemon."

"So, you had no involvement in anything they did?" Nick asked, flipping through the notes about the cloning process.

"Yes, we had no involvement with them outside of their funding of our project. We were growing close, having the basis of cloning the Kanto starters, but they would not completely form before dying. Team Rocket didn't care, they had a hidden agenda, and they planned on cloning the legendary pokemon Mew."

"Mew as in, the first pokemon?" Nick asked as he found a picture of Kegan's parents. "And, who are these two?"

A small tear formed in Blaine's eyes at the sight of the photograph. "That's my daughter, Kegan's parents. They loved traveling and offered to lead an expedition for Mew, hoping to find a trace of its DNA. That picture was taken shortly after Kegan's birth while we were in the Andes Mountains. I stayed behind, taking care of an infant Kegan while they went on ahead. They perished in an avalanche. Only one person made it out, with an eyelash believed to be Mews."

"I-I'm sorry, I had no idea," Nick muttered as he closed the notebooks. "Kegan had mentioned something about his parents, but I didn't realize like that..."

Blaine shook his head as he carefully put the picture down. "How would you know, Kegan doesn't even know about the avalanche. But, following their passing, I lost my passion for the project and accidently caused an explosion in my now abandoned lab. Not caring about the emotional stress I was under, Team Rocket only looked for results and wanted them sooner. They had us work nearly twenty hours a day, trying to perfect the cloning process."

"So, how did you leave then?" Nick asked, knowing for a fact from the story that Blaine left on his own.

"I told them I was done. I returned the remaining money they had invested and gave them some of my notes, but not the more important ones." He said, motioning to the bag in Nick's possession. "Dr. Fuji also left with me, feeling like we were not ones who should be playing God."

"So, what happened to Dr. Smith?" Nick asked, remembering that there was a third scientist doing the research.

Blaine shrugged his shoulders as he thought about it. "I know for a fact he continued working on it. He was hoping that he could clone his deceased daughter if he could master the cloning process. I haven't seen or heard from him, but I heard there was an explosion at his latest lab. Although our lives went down different paths, I hope he is alright."

Nick handed the bag over to Blaine, "I think it would be better if you took care of these. They're your notes, if you want them destroyed then do so." Nick said as he stood up and replaced the chair in the corner. "Thank you for explaining this to me. But, don't expect me to hold back tomorrow."

Blaine smiled at the trainer as he walked out the door. "I wouldn't expect anything else from you."

* * *

Elsewhere, on a faraway island, two people were watching a large screen filled with videos of pokemon trainers. "Master, have you seen any who intrigue you?" A woman's voice echoed through the room, she was dressed in a brown cloak that covered her entire body and hid her face as well.

"Plenty." The voice boomed through the room. "There are many who are being invitations as we speak, but those truly worthy will find a way to get here." He said, pressing a button which caused the monitor to shut off. "Come, we must prepare for our guests." He said, his cloak blowing around as he walked away

* * *

 **Well, chapter 46 is now completed. Nick and Kegan seem to be a little closer now. In truth, I'm trying to build their relationship slowly where Kegan starts to admire Nick. Anyway, if you couldn't guess, Mewtwo is about to make his appearance in the story. About Blaine, I wanted to include the part of his character from the games where he helped with trying to clone Mew and his Pokemon Adventure self who was a member of Team Rocket before leaving. He is going to be somewhat important for the next few chapters as well. Dr. Smith is based on the Dr. Fuji from the 1** **st** **movie, but I used his name from the novel so that I could include the actual Mr. Fuji who was once a scientist.**

 **About the story, I know a few chapters back I put a basic idea of how many chapters were left, but that was before I added this mini Mewtwo arc. It'll last about 3-4 chapters before getting back to the main story. Although, it may not seem important now, but later on this will play into the Johto story.**

 **Thank you for reading this story, please leave a review of how I can improve and of what you enjoyed about the chapter.**

 **Team:**

 **Nick- 7 badges:**

 **Eevee- swift, quick attack, dig, shadow ball**

 **Kingler- water gun, crabhammer, stomp, mud shot**

 **Charizard- flamethrower, air slash, dragon tail, brick break**

 **Gastly- night shade, venoshock, hypnosis, dark pulse**

 **Hitmonchan- mach punch, agility, comet punch, thunder punch**

 **Dragonair- Twister, Ice beam, Dragon Tail, Shock Wave**

 **At Oak's:**

 **Beedrill- poison sting, fury attack, twinneedle, hyper beam**

 **Shellder**

 **Pidgeotto – tackle, quick attack, sand-attack**

* * *

 **Samurai- league exam badge:**

 **Pinsir- x-scissor, earthquake, harden, revenge**

 **Venonat- supersonic, poison fang, confusion, signal beam**

 **Parasect- energy ball, stun spore, fury cutter, slash**

 **Sandshrew- Rollout, mud-slap, dig, scratch**

 **Golduck- Fury Swipes, Water Pulse, Screech**

 **At home:**

 **Butterfree- aerial ace, sleep powder**

* * *

 **Janine- league exam badge:**

 **Venonat- psybeam, foresight,**

 **Golbat- wing attack, hypnosis, venoshock, shadow ball**

 **Grimer- flamethrower, poison jab, minimize, mud-slap**

 **Vulpix- ember, flame charge, attract, energy ball**


	47. Burning Up! Nick vs The Cinnabar Gym!

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Pokemon**

* * *

"Nick, are you ready for our match?" Blaine asked as he got up from the table. "The gym is ready and I'll be waiting for you there."

"Blaine, wait," Nick said, getting the gym leader to stop in his tracks. "This time, the match will be a six-on-six. All of my pokemon have worked hard for this moment, they all deserve a chance to battle."

Blaine smiled at the young trainer before starting to walk away. "Very well, if you insist. Be at the gym in exactly one hour for our battle."

"Are you crazy!?" Samurai yelled once Blaine was gone. He quickly smacked Nick over the back of the head before continuing. "You barely defeated one of his pokemon last time. How do you expect to beat six of them?"

Janine nodded her head in agreement as Samurai spoke. "He's right, Nick. Maybe you should change the format before it's too late."

Nick shook his head back and forth before looking at his friends. "Just like I told Blaine, all of them have worked hard. They all deserve a chance. Now, I'll see you two at the gym, I need to do some last minute preparations." He said before getting up from the table and walking out of the building.

Kegan sighed as he swallowed the last bit of pancake in his mouth before speaking. "I don't know what the big deal is. Nick will win anyway, you heard it here first."

"Since when did you turn into his biggest fan..." Samurai muttered as he stared down the young boy. "Last time I checked, you found him to be annoying and a drama queen."

"That was before," Kegan retorted before chugging down his milk. "If you'll excuse me, I have to get going." He said before leaving the hotel.

"D-did we miss something yesterday?" Janine asked as she stared at the door that the two boys had just walked out.

"I don't know..." Samurai replied, just as confused.

* * *

"So, Nick, who are you going to use today?" Kegan asked as he followed the boy into the Pokemon Center. "Come on, you can tell me."

Nick smirked at the young boy before pressing a finger up against his lips. "It's a secret. You'll find out during the match."

Kegan pouted at this as he continued to follow Nick around. "Can't you just tell me? I know you only have seven pokemon, I saw them all yesterday."

"Actually, you're wrong about that," Nick said as he sat down at a phone. "I have a total of nine pokemon now that I caught Pidgeotto. Now, please stay quiet for a few minutes as I make a call." He said, quickly punching in Professor Oak's number.

Nick sat there as the monitor stayed black as the phone continued to ring. Finally, after about four rings, a voice was heard. "H-hello, who is this?" Professor Oak asked before turning his monitor on and seeing Nick's face. "Ahh, Nick it's you. I haven't heard from you in a while."

"Hi, Professor Oak, I've been busy lately." Nick said, greeting the man who helped start his journey. "I was calling to see if my Pidgeotto arrived there safe and sound last night."

"So, that was your Pidgeotto. I was curious about that, I should have known by the way it acted once let out of the pokeball." He said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Great, I was wondering if you could send it over to me, I wanted to use it in my last gym match." Nick explained as he grabbed a pokeball off of his clip. "I already have Gastly ready to be sent over."

Professor Oak smiled at the thought. "That's great news, I'll have a fun time studying Gastly, but let me retrieve Pidgeotto's pokeball." The Professor stated as he walked away from the monitor, only to return in a few moments. "I have Pidgeotto's pokeball, just place Gastly on the transport pad and we can perform the swap."

Nick gently placed Gastly's pokeball onto the pad and gave Oak a thumbs up. "I'm all set up on this end."

"Perfect, I'll start the transfer immediately." Professor Oak stated right as an electrical current covered the pokeball. In an instant, Gastly's pokeball vanished from sight and was replaced with a new one.

"It worked, Professor, I have Pidgeotto." Nick said, showing the older man the pokeball.

"And I have Gastly," Oak replied as he showed the pokeball on his end. "You know, it's great that you've started to rotate your pokemon even if you did it kind of late. Beedrill was getting restless and actually started fighting amongst the other bug types located in the forest. Shellder on the other hand hasn't really done much."

Nick sweat dropped at the Professor's story about his pokemon. "I didn't really plan on rotating, I just wanted to use Pidgeotto in my final gym match."

"That's too bad, you should really use your reserves more." Oak explained as he placed Gastly's pokeball onto a tray. "That way, your opponents can't get a good understanding of possible pokemon you might use. If you constantly use the same six, it'll make it easy to predict your team. Plus, your other pokemon won't grow as much."

Nick sighed, knowing that Professor Oak was right. "I know, I've just gotten so used to the pokemon I have on hand. I'll try to make better use of rotating my team from now on."

Professor Oak nodded in agreement as he heard a voice yell from the hallway. "I hate to end the phone call so soon, but it sounds like my company is here. I'll talk to you soon." He said before ending the phone call.

"I didn't know you had that many Pokemon, you'll have to let me see them sometime," Kegan stated as he stared at the pokeball in Nick's hand.

Nick laughed at the boy's excitement, reminding him of himself at that age. "Yeah, next time you're in Pallet Town I'll take you to Professor Oak's lab to meet them all."

"Really, that would be awesome!" Kegan cried out as he pumped his fists in the air. "I can already see it, Magby beating every single pokemon you own easily."

Nick let out a chuckle at the boy's excitement. "Yeah, but first I need to head back to the gym. An hour has almost passed."

* * *

"So, are you ready, Nick?" Blaine asked as his challenger walked through the metal doors. "I listened to your request and have handpicked six of my strongest pokemon for this battle."

Nick smirked at the man's statement. "I wouldn't have it any other way." He said, reaching for a pokeball, "I'm ready when you are."

Blaine reached for a pokeball of his own, "To be honest, I haven't been this excited in a long time. Go, Rapidash!"

The pokeball opened up, revealing the fire horse pokemon. The fire type landed on all four, but then immediately stood on its hind legs, trying to instill fear into its opponent.

"Hmm, a Rapidash," Nick mumbled as he gripped the pokeball already in his hand. "We'll show you just how far we've come. Eevee, I choose you!" He yelled, tossing the pokeball onto the field.

The device opened up, revealing the normal type to everyone there. "Eevee!" It cried out, looking ready to get the battle started.

* * *

"Eevee, there's no way it can take on a Rapidash," Samurai said as he placed a hand on his head. "Nick must have hit his head or something while training."

"No," Kegan stated calmly as he watched Eevee get ready. "You didn't see their training yesterday, they'll be fine."

"How can you be so sure of them?" Janine asked as she stared at the boy. "You saw what happened last time these two battled."

Kegan was getting annoyed with these two, they said they were Nick's friends, but questioned everything he did. "Have some faith in him. He is your friend, isn't he?" He asked, giving the two a look.

"W-well yeah, we just want to see him win," Samurai muttered, having been caught off guard by the question.

* * *

"Nick, you can have the first move," Blaine offered generously as he fixed his glasses.

The trainer nodded in agreement before looking down at Eevee. "Eevee, start off with shadow ball." He called out, pointing his arm right at Rapidash.

"Vee!" The normal type cried out before launching the attack. He was about to launch off the attack when Blaine interrupted.

"Rapidash, counter with a flamethrower!" The elder scientist called out.

Rapidash reared its head back as the flames on its back started to grow in size. The fire type then opened its mouth, firing off the powerful attack.

" _Perfect..."_ Nick thought before smirking at the sight. "You know what to do, Eevee!" He said, giving the normal type a quick glance.

Eevee launched the attack right at the flamethrower, the two attacks colliding and causing an explosion. Smoke filled the inside of the gym, making it impossible for anyone to see. Silence filled the room, both trainers waiting for the other to make a move.

Rapidash broke the silence as it cried out in pain. A loud thud then followed it as the smoke started to thin. "R-Rapidash, what's happening? I still can't see anything!" Blaine called out, hoping for a response, but only heard more of that thud noise.

"Keep at it Eevee!" Nick cried out, smiling at the scene unfolding. "One more swift, then get out of there, your cover is fading."

"See, I told you don't worry," Kegan said as he put his arms behind his head. "Nick knew he couldn't just overpower my grandpa, so he came up with a new idea. Make it impossible to see, then continuously use swift."

"That's smart. With the smoke, Rapidash can't tell where the attack is coming from and swift never misses, so all Eevee needed to do was attack." Janine said as she could start to make out the golden stars flying across the gym.

"Rapidash, counter with flame charge!" Blaine called out, now seeing that his fire type was standing on three legs, the fourth leg having given out was now bent and Rapidash was leaning on that leg's knee.

Rapidash wobbly stood back up on all four legs before its mane started to grow larger. Eventually, thee mane consumed the entire body of Rapidash, covering it in a seal of fire. The fire type stood there as the swift attack was destroyed upon impact.

Blaine pointed forward at the now visible Eevee and smirked. "Now, charge at our opponent!"

In an amazing showing of speed, Rapidash became a blur, leaving behind a trail of fire in its path. The fire type then rammed right into Eevee, sending the normal type skidding backwards.

"Eevee, are you alright?" Nick asked his partner as he watched the normal type get back up, showing that he was fine. "We have to be careful now, Blaine won't fall for the same attack twice. Plus, Rapidash will continue to grow faster every time they use flame charge." He explained, trying to find a weakness in Blaine's attack.

"Rapidash, we won't wait around for them. Use flame charge once more!"

"Okay, meet them halfway. Use quick attack!" Nick countered as he thought of something on the fly. "Don't attack, just get close."

"What is he up to?" Blaine asked, rubbing the bottom of his chin, curious to see how Nick's plan would work out.

Rapidash was even faster than before, catching up to Eevee sooner than the normal type had expected it to do. Eevee, however remembered what Nick had told him about not trying to attack, just get in close. Eevee continued to charge forward despite the obvious difference in speed.

Nick smiled at Eevee following through despite how bad this idea looked. "Great, now drop right to the floor!" Nick yelled, thinking back to his battle with Pidgeotto.

Eevee did as he was told, stopping in its tracks and just dropping to the floor. Rapidash had no time to react, running right past Eevee. The fire type continued to run forward, trying to slow itself down by shoving its hooves into the ground.

Eevee quickly jumped up and faced the now skidding Rapidash. The normal type lunged forward, ramming its head into the fire type's back. Rapidash fell forward from the blow, landing on its stomach as Eevee sat on the fire type's back.

Before Eevee could try anything else, it was shaken off of Rapidash. After the short skirmish, the normal type was now underneath Rapidash, looking up at the fire type's under belly.

"Rapidash, use stomp!" Blaine yelled out, seeing his chance. "Keep at it and don't give him a chance."

Rapidash leaned backwards on its hind legs before ramming down into the ground. The fire type just missed Eevee on the first try. Quickly, it then started to stomp down onto the ground with all four legs.

Nick watched as Eevee tried to dodge each attack, only to be stomped on by Rapidash every time he thought he managed to dodge.

Watching, Nick decided to try something real fast before Eevee was done for. "Roll to your right, then launch a shadow ball!" Nick yelled out, hoping that Eevee could hear him.

Eevee had no chance to respond, having to continue dodging the incoming hooves. Listening to Nick, however, Eevee rolled to his right, avoiding Rapidash's right hoof, but was now directly under the left hoof.

Remembering Nick's advice, Eevee launched off the shadow ball, causing it to collide right with the descending hoof. The attack managed to overpower Rapidash, causing it to lose its balance and fall backwards.

"Great! Now end this with a quick attack!" Nick yelled out as he threw his hand out towards Rapidash.

Eevee nodded before it chased down the fire horse pokemon. With one swift movement, Eevee charged right into the side of Rapidash, sending the fire type skidding backwards.

"Rapidash, can you continue?" Blaine asked as he carefully watched his fire type try and stand up. Despite the effort, Rapidash collapsed due to its fatigued. "I understand, Rapidash, return" he said, recalling the pokemon. Blaine then reached for his second pokeball, having already made his decision. "Go, Ninetails!"

The pokeball opened up, revealing the fox pokemon to everyone watching. Ninetails stretched itself out, getting ready to fight. Eevee, ready to continue, stared down his new opponent, trying to figure out an idea.

Nick also was looking at Ninetails, but also looked over at his own pokemon. He noticed that Eevee was starting to pant and figured it would be best to switch out. "Eevee, return!" He called out, returning the pokemon back into its pokeball.

Nick then felt through his clip before deciding on who to use next. "Time for some beginner's luck! Pidgeotto, I choose you!" He yelled out as the pokeball opened up.

In a flash of white light, the bird pokemon appeared onto the field and let out a screeching cry. The flying type then immediately spread its wings out before taking off into the air.

* * *

"A Pidgeotto? Since when did he get one of those?" Samurai asked as he crossed his arms. "Though, it's kind of funny. He always seems to catch one right before a gym match."

"If you followed him like I did, you would have seen Nick catch him." Kegan explained as his eyes were glued to the match.

* * *

"Hmm, you think fighting in the sky will give you the advantage?" Blaine asked as he squinted at the flying type. "Well, we'll just have to show you that you're wrong. Ninetails, start off with sunny day!"

Just like last time, Ninetail's tails started to glow a bright white. This time, the light continued to intensify, almost as if Ninetails was pulling energy from the heat of the volcano.

"Nine!" The fox pokemon cried out before launching the ball of white light up into the sky. Unlike before, this orb exploded once it made it to the apex of its ascent, blinding everyone in the room.

"Quick attack, let's go!" Blaine calmly commanded as Ninetails took off running. "You're right under it, jump straight up," he explained, giving out directions to his pokemon.

Nick tried to fight back against the blinding light, but could only manage to make out small silhouettes of the pokemon. "Pidgeotto, watch out," He said, his eyes burning from trying to look through the light.

Pidgeotto was having just as hard of a time, since it was up in the air at the time of the light explosion, it had seen the burst of light up close. With his eyes shut, Pidgeotto moved his head back and forth, trying to listen for the fire type.

Unfortunately, this did it no good, as Ninetails managed to sneak around the gym silently while listening to Blaine's directions. The fox pokemon trusted her trainer and when he told her to jump up, she did. Luckily for her, she struck Pidgeotto right in the chest, causing the bird pokemon to fall out of the sky and crash onto the gym floor.

"You're not the only one who has plans," Blaine said as he wiped some sweat from his forehead. "This is an old combination we created over the years. Thanks to my glasses, I'm not blinded by the light. Although it doesn't last for long, it allows us to get in one good hit."

"Pi-Pidgeotto!" Nick called out, he could now make out the flying type laying on the ground. "This won't end well, I should switch out for now..." Nick muttered as he grabbed Pidgeotto's pokeball. "Pidgeotto, return!" He yelled out, the bird pokemon being returned to its pokeball. "Hitmonchan, I choose you!"

"Chan!" The fighting type cried out as he pretended to jab at an invisible opponent. The light had also faded now, having returned back to the familiar fake sun from the last battle. "Hitmon, hitmonchan!" he said, signaling that he was ready.

"Alright, let's start out with mach punch!" Nick cried out, pretending to through a fake punch just as his pokemon had done. "Then follow up immediately with a comet punch!"

Hitmonchan bounced on his feet before rocketing right for Ninetails. Giving the fox pokemon no time to react, Hitmonchan delivered a powerful right jab right into her face. The punching pokemon jumped backwards before dashing at the fire type again.

A flurry of punches appeared before Ninetail's eyes as Hitmonchan's fists moved like machine guns. Punch after punch, the fox pokemon appeared to have no way to counter the onslaught.

"Be careful, Hitmonchan, this is feeling too easy," Nick warned his pokemon. He was right, why was Blaine allowing all of these hits to go unanswered.

Hitmonchan took the advice, but continued to attack the fox pokemon head on. It wasn't like he wasn't listening, it was just he had no other way to attack. "Chan!" He cried out as his fist connected with Ninetails' face.

Blaine smirked as he looked at how close HItmonchan was now. "Perfect... Ninetails, fire spin!" He yelled out, pointing his index finger right at Hitmonchan.

"Damn..." Nick cursed as he saw the cyclone of fire begin to form in the fire type's mouth. "Quick, don't stay in one spot, Hitmonchan, keep moving while using agility!"

Hitmonchan nodded as he ran to his left, disappearing for a split second before reappearing in a different location. Hitmonchan continued this pattern, making it near impossible to locate him.

Ninetails also seemed to be lost, continuing to rotate around the field as it tried to find Hitmonchan. The fire type would launch its attack, only to shoot at the spot Hitmonchan had just left.

Blaine looked at the field before he closed his eyes. He then started to focus on his other senses, seeing if they could help him. "Ninetails, close your eyes and listen for his footsteps!"

"Nine!" It cried out before shutting its eyes. Ninetails started to relax as she listened for footsteps. To her amazement, once she focused on them, it was easy to pinpoint Hitmonchan. Turning to her right, Ninetails launched another fire spin, trapping the fighting type within the vortex of flames.

'Hitmonchan!" Nick cried out as he saw the flames start to weaken the fighting type. "Think Nick... how can we get out of this one?" He asked himself as he looked at the vortex. His eyes caught hold of something that might work well for him and he decided to try it out. "Hitmonchan, try and jump out of the vortex through the top!"

"Hitmon," The fighting type stated as he prepared himself to jump. Putting all his energy into his legs, Hitmonchan jumped up towards the opening. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough, as the punching pokemon felt himself falling back towards the ground.

Nick didn't know what to do, that was the only idea he had. "That heat has to be tiring Hitmonchan down. If I can't get him out of there soon, it'll be over for him." Nick stated as he tried to think of an idea.

Hitmonchan landed back on the ground, now panting due to the heat. "Hit... hitmon," He muttered before trying something not even Nick had thought of. Hitmonchan broke into a sprint as he pushed his way through the fire spin, his body felt the pain from the fire, but continued to push through. After a few seconds, Hitmonchan managed to emerge through the wall of fire.

Nick stood there, shocked by what Hitmonchan had done. He quickly shook his head before smiling right at Hitmonchan, who was giving Nick a thumbs up. "That's great, Hitmonchan!" Nick cried out, giving a thumbs up back.

Hitmonchan stood there, arms drooped as he panted. Knowing that Nick was watching, the fighting type took a deep breath as he lifted his arms. There was no way he was coming out of this fight.

" _He's exhausted, that fire spin really is deadly."_ Nick thought as he looked at Hitmonchan, noticing the heavy breathing. "But, if I know him, he won't come out. Looks like we'll have to finish it all right here. Hitmonchan, mach punch!"

Despite not taking as much damage, Ninetails was panting just as hard due to the assault of attacks she had received earlier in the battle.

"Looks like this will be the final move for us as well. Ninetails, use quick attack!" Blaine yelled out, noticing his own pokemon's breathing.

Both pokemon dashed forward, ready to take the other one out. Hitmonchan raised his fists, both of them glowing white as he moved forward. Ninetails, likewise, was running with every ounce of energy she had left, a trail of white light left behind her.

The two pokemon met in the middle of the field within only a few seconds. Hitmonchan made the first move as he swung his lightning fast fists forward. The dual strike connected both times, striking Ninetails in the face with full force.

Ninetails skidded backwards before jumping forward and ramming her head right into Hitmonchan's chest. Following the blow, Hitmonchan dropped onto his knees while panting heavily.

"Hitmonchan, are you alright!?" Nick called out as he watched the fighting type slowly stand back onto his feet. Nick was about to call out an attack, when the punching pokemon collapsed on the ground. "Hit-Hitmonchan!" Nick yelled out as he waited for any reaction.

"It appears they both have had enough," Blaine said as he pointed at a now collapsed Ninetails. "I must admit, it takes guts to try and run right through a fire spin like that." He said as Ninetails was recalled into her pokeball. "Now, go, Rhydon!"

"A Rhydon," Nick muttered as he adjusted his hat. He then reached for a pokeball on his clip, having already decided on it. "Kingler, I choose you!" He yelled as the device revealed his water type pokemon.

* * *

"Why would he use a ground type?" Samurai asked as he stared at the pokemon. "It isn't crazy to use a different type if it would catch the opponent off guard, but Rhydon is weak to water as well."

"There has to be something to his strategy..." Janine muttered as she looked at the two pokemon. "If he didn't this move wouldn't make any sense, unless..." She trailed off as a possible idea came to her head.

"Unless what?" Kegan asked as he waited for someone to make a move. "Come on, tell us already!"

Janine looked at them with a blank expression on her face. "What if he trained Rhydon to handle water types? Think about it, would it be that strange to think of Blaine doing something like that?"

"S-so, you mean..." Samurai trailed off as he looked at the two pokemon. "That, Nick might be falling into a trap."

* * *

"Okay, Kingler, start off with a water gun!" Nick called out as he threw his fist forward.

"Kokee kee..." The water type muttered as he opened his large claw. The stream of water erupted from the claw as it shot right for the ground type.

"Block it with stone edge," Blaine calmly stated as he looked at the water. The gym leader smirked at the process before him, Nick was playing right into his plan.

"Rhy!" It cried out before slamming its fists onto the ground. Upon impact, a pillar of light blue rocks shot out of the ground. The way the rocks shot out of the ground formed a shield around Rhydon, causing the water gun to just bounce off of it.

Nick looked on with disbelief, never once thinking of using an attack like that. "Don't give him a second to rest, get in close with crabhammer!" Nick yelled out as he shook off his disbelief.

Kingler shot forward as his claw started to glow a light blue. Despite moving at an average speed, the pincer pokemon wasn't used to moving while in battle. Nick looked at the water type, noticing the growing fatigue from just running.

" _I need to remember that Kingler isn't very mobile right now. I should have remembered from previous matches, he uses his water gun to avoid and allows his opponents to approach him."_ Nick mentally scolded himself as he watched the water type make his way to Rhydon.

This time, Blaine didn't even issue a command, instead, he just nodded at the ground type. Rhydon noticed the nod and gave one of his own back as well before lifting his arms into the air. To everyone's surprise, the rocks used from before were now floating in the air.

"Kingler, be careful!" Nick yelled out as he examined the floating stones with a keen eye. He didn't have a good feeling about this, but couldn't put his finger on it.

"Now throw them all!" Blaine shouted as he snapped Nick out of his thoughts. The fire type specialist looked on with joy as Rhydon launched the floating stones right at Kingler.

Nick watched as the first few hit the water type head on, causing him to be pushed back. Thinking quickly, Nick issued out a new command. "Kingler! Use the stones as stepping stones, use stomp to make your way through them!"

"Kokee kokee." He stated before pushing off of the ground. Kingler then landed on top of a stone with a loud thud before moving onto the next one.

One by one, Kingler made his way through the flying stones, but not without a little difficulty. Just as he was about to make the final jump, Kingler's legs gave out on the water type and caused him to fall off of the rocks.

"Now, Rhydon, use a take down attack!" Blaine called out before fixing his glasses. He then looked over at his opponent before a thought came into his head. "Tell me Nick, when is it alright to have a thick head? Right now!" Blaine yelled out.

"He's telling us riddles during a match?" Nick asked himself as he watched Kingler stumble over his own legs. "Kingler, try and slow him down with your water gun!"

Rhydon was off and running once his trainer had issued the command. As Rhydon ran, his body was enveloped in a white aura. Kingler meanwhile had already shot off his own attack, hoping that the type advantage would stop the attack.

Rhydon was unfazed by the attack, instead running straight through the blast. As Rhydon felt the attack weaken, the ground type lowered his shoulder before ramming right into the water type.

"You forgot, Rhydon will also take damage because of recoil!" Nick called out proudly, but to his surprise, Rhydon wasn't damaged at all.

"Did you forget my riddle? Thanks' to Rhydon's ability, which is rock head, it isn't affected by any recoil damage." Blaine stated as he tapped the side of his head. "You should have learned that a while ago. Now, Rhydon, use thunderbolt!"

"What!" Nick cried out as he shielded his eyes from the brightness. "Since when can a Rhydon learn that?"

"See, just as I thought," Janine pointed out as she crossed her arms. "Blaine trained his Rhydon to handle water types."

"Yeah, he can use stone edge to block any attack as well as use it as an attack." Samurai added as they watched the battle before them. "Not to mention, that thunderbolt will do some pretty good damage once it hits."

Nick watched as Rhydon started to glow a bright yellow. "He's about to attack, think of something..." He muttered to himself as he looked at a panting Kingler. "Water conducts electricity so there's no way to use water gun... But what if I try something else?" He said, smirking at his last idea. Moving quickly, Nick brought his fists by his side, clenching them tightly. "Kingler, cover yourself in mud shot!"

"Kokee..." Kingler panted as he opened his claws and pointed them upwards. Small circular balls of mud started to fire out of the opening and were shot straight into the air. Kingler watched as the mud balls all landed on his body, covering him in the muddy substance.

"Rhy!" The ground type yelled out, completely unaware of Nick's idea. The electricity flew off of the drill pokemon and shot right for Kingler.

" _I hope this works..."_ Nick mentally said to himself asthe bolt of electricity struck Kingler. "Just hold on, Kingler!" Nick yelled out, seeing the painful expression on his face. "Once you're alright, fire a water gun!"

Kingler sat there and took the full force of the attack, but thanks to the mud coating he wasn't as hurt as he would have been. "Kokee, kee..." It muttered as it fired off a weakened water gun.

Nick could tell the attack wasn't at full power due to the size and speed of it. Normally, the stream was much larger, this time, it was about a quarter of the size that it normally was. "Just a little longer, Kingler, you're doing great!" Nick cheered, hoping to encourage the struggling water type.

The blast struck Rhydon directly in the chest, causing the drill pokemon to flinch slightly as he brushed off the attack. "Rhydon, end this with a take down attack!" Blaine commanded as he pointed straight at Kingler.

Rhydon nodded as he stomped his feet out of excitement. Charging at an alarming speed, Nick could do nothing before he saw Rhydon plow right through the weak water gun before ramming its head right into Kingler.

The water type fell backwards from the attack, having fainted upon impact. Nick grit his teeth together as he stared at the water type. He then looked over at Rhydon and noticed just how fatigued it was now. "Kingler return," Nick said as the water type was recalled. "You did great, take a nice rest," He stated before grabbing a new pokeball. "Pidgeotto, I choose you!"

"Geotto!" The bird pokemon cried out upon its second chance to battle. Just like before, it immediately stretched its wings out before taking to the sky.

"Rhydon, return for now," Blaine commanded as Rhydon was recalled into its pokeball. "Excellent work, you'll be needed later on. Now, Flareon, go and use quick attack!" He yelled while tossing out the pokeball.

"Flareon!" The flame pokemon proudly proclaimed before breaking into a sprint. A white trail was all that was seen as Flareon became practically invisible.

"Pidgeotto, counter with your own quick attack!" Nick yelled out through gritted teeth. "We'll show them some true speed!"

"Pidgoett!" The flying type cried out before flying straight at Flareon. Just like his opponent, Pidgeotto had a white trail left behind him as he soared through the air.

As Flareon reached Pidgeotto, the flame pokemon jumped into the air, colliding with Pidgeotto's head. Unlike the last time when it fought Eevee, Flareon was overpowered by Pidgeotto's own quick attack. Being pushed back onto the ground, Flareon got back up immediately.

"Those attacks won't be quite as effective against a flying type like Pidgeotto!" Nick proudly proclaimed as he looked at the situation. "Flareon has no ground to push off of when it collides with Pidgeotto, we'll overpower you every time."

"Well, we'll just have to fix that." Blaine calmly replied as he fixed his glasses once again. "Flareon, cloud that bird's vision with a smog attack!"

Flareon nodded in agreement as he opened up his mouth. "Flareeee!" It cried out as a thick green cloud of smoke rolled out.

The smoke covered the entire field, making it impossible to see anything further than a few inches from in front of yourself. Although Nick couldn't see anything, he already knew that Blaine had this as part of his plan. "Pidgeotto, listen carefully, Flareon might be getting ready to attack you. Listen for its footsteps and then dodge when it gets close."

Just as Nick had predicted, he could hear Flareon running across the gym floor. He then heard Pidgeotto's wings flapping at an increased rate, signaling that Pidgeotto had dodged the attack.

"Perfect, now blow this smog away with a powerful gust attack!" Nick cried out as he threw his hand up in front of his body. "Hit him with everything you got!"

Pidgeotto nodded his head in agreement before flapping his wings at an increased rate. Eventually, Nick could see the cloud of smoke begin to move out of the gym through the top of the volcano.

"Geotto..." Pidgeotto cried out as the bird pokemon stopped flapping his wings. To Nick's surprise, he saw Flareon biting into Pidgeotto's right wing with a fire fang.

"But, when..." Nick muttered before thinking back to the whole event. "Of course. He wanted me to fall into a false sense of security this whole time. Pidgeotto, drop to the ground and use sand attack!"

* * *

"Hey, what just happened, I thought Nick was taking control of the battle?" Kegan asked as he looked at both Samurai and Janine.

"I think Nick realized the whole thing was a set up by Blaine." Samurai explained as he watched Pidgeotto fly down towards the gym floor. "He knew Nick could figure a way around the smog, so he waited until Pidgeotto tried to blow away the smog to attack."

"Yeah, he tried to make it seem like he was reusing Nick's strategy from earlier with Eevee clouding out Rapidash's vision. That's how Nick saw through it, but he didn't expect it to just be bait for Blaine's true attack." Janine explained more in depth.

"I think I understand..." Kegan muttered, not really getting the point behind really complex strategy.

* * *

Pidgeotto landed softly on the gym floor, wincing in pain due to the attack from Flareon. Still able to move his free wing, Pidgeotto swept it across the gym's floor, causing dirt to be kicked up. The sand flew right into Flareon's eyes, causing the flame pokemon to let go of Pidgeotto and back away.

"Get right in there with a tackle attack!" Nick proclaimed as Pidgeotto shook off the remaining pain.

Moving quickly, Pidgeotto lifted a few feet off of the ground as he flew right at Flareon. The bird pokemon collided right into the side of the fire type before circling away from it.

Flareon managed to stand back up after the attack, but it was clearly weakened from the attacks. The fire type looked back at its trainer, waiting for the next command.

"Very well, it appears we need to wrap this up. Use flare blitz!" Blaine responded as he looked at the fatigued fire type. "Nick, you better be ready because this will be it for Pidgeotto!"

"Pidgeotto, fly right at Flareon with a quick attack!" Nick responded to Blaine's taunt, hoping to psych out the gym leader.

Pidgeotto took off as another trail of white light extended behind the bird pokemon. Despite its fatigue, Pidgeotto was still flying at a good speed.

Flareon meanwhile broke into a sprint as fire surrounded its whole body. The fire then started to give off a few sparks of electricity as the flame pokemon charged forward.

Nick smirked at the image before him. _"That's it, just keep coming at us."_ He said to himself as he watched the two pokemon shorten the distance between them. Just as Pidgeotto was about to strike Flareon, Nick spoke up. "Pidgeotto, fly straight up now!"

Pidgeotto wanted to attack, but realized that it was probably better to listen to his trainer. Despite just meeting him the previous day, Pidgeotto listened to Nick, flying straight into the air.

"What!?" Blaine asked in shock. He was sure that Pidgeotto and Nick would follow through with their attack. "Flareon, after them!" He cried out, hoping that Flareon could jump that high.

Flareon quickly pushed off his back legs as he tried to get enough height with his jump. To no surprise, the fire type managed to push off of the ground. Flareon soared through the sky as he was ready to smash into the flying type.

"Use gust!" Nick's voice rang through the gym as Pidgeotto started to flap his wings. The wind started to pick up as a large gust of wind collided with Flareon.

The blast was enough to extinguish the flare blitz and push Flareon back towards the ground. Looking over at Nick, the bird pokemon noticed his trainer nodding. Realizing what it meant, Pidgeotto flew right after the falling fire type. Pidgeotto managed to catch up with Flareon, ramming his head into the fire type.

The impact caused Flareon's descent to speed up and crash right into the ground. A cloud of dust covered the gym right as Flareon landed. Nick watched the dust, waiting to see if Flareon was still going or if his plan had worked.

Blaine also waited, but wasn't excited once he saw Flareon on the ground. "Return, Flareon," he stated calmly as Flareon returned to its pokeball. "Go, Rhydon!" Blaine called out as the ground type landed on the field with a loud thud.

"Rhydon again," Nick stated as he reached for a pokeball. "Pidgeotto, return! Thanks for a job well done, take a rest because it'll take everything we have to win this." He said to the flying type's device before grabbing a new one. "Alright, I choose you, Dragonair!" Nick cried out as he tossed the pokeball out.

The dragon pokemon emerged from the white light, curled up in a small ball sleeping. "Come on, Dragonair! You can't sleep all the time, get up and battle!" Nick cried out as he grew annoyed with his pokemon always sleeping.

Dragonair slowly uncurled itself while yawning. The dragon type then looked in front of it, seeing the Rhydon, and then shot Nick a glare. "Dragoinair!" It cried out before curling back into a ball.

"What? Dragonair, what's gotten into you?" Nick asked as he watched in disbelief as Dragonair laid back down. "Come on, we have a match to win!"

* * *

"What's gotten into Dragonair?" Janine asked as she watched the exchange between the two. "He's always listened to Nick before."

Samurai couldn't help but chuckle at the situation. "I warned him," He stated as he crossed his arms in front of his chest. "I told him not to baby that pokemon so much."

Kegan, unaware of what Samurai meant, just gave him a confused look. "Wait, when did he baby Dragonair?"

"When he first caught it," Samurai explained as he watched the duo continue to argue. "At first, Nick would give it specially made milk instead of food and then massage it. Once it evolved, he started to give it normal food, but he didn't notice its dislike of it. Also, he didn't massage or clean Dragonair after the last battle."

"So, Dragonair is like a spoiled child," Kegan realized as he watched the dragon type just lay there motionless. "And now that it isn't getting its way, it won't do anything."

"It makes sense, dragon types take a while to evolve, but Dragonair evolved rather fast." Janine said as she thought of something. "It might still have the mentality of a child despite evolving so fast."

* * *

Nick started to lose his cool with Dragonair now, no matter what he said, the dragon type just laid there. "Just do something already!" He yelled, fists clenched at his side, causing Dragonair to wake up rather upset.

"Dragonair!" The dragon type cried out in anger as its rest was ruined. Turning around, the dragon pokemon faced Nick with rage in its eyes. Opening its mouth, an electrical spark started to form.

"Hey, turn around if you're going to attack!" Nick cried out, sensing that something was about to happen. "Dragonair! I am your trainer! You will listen to me!" He yelled, pointing right at Rhydon.

Before Nick could even do anything, Dragonair had launched the shock wave, hitting Nick directly. The young trainer felt the electrical current run through his body, frying his whole body. Once the attack ended, Nick laid on the ground with burnt marks all over his body.

"D-Dragonair... why?" Nick asked, a small tear forming in his eye. "I-I thought we were friends."

Having seen something like this before, Blaine cut into their argument. "If Dragonair won't battle, then it forfeits the match."

Nick slowly rose off of the ground as he wiped dirt off of his clothes. "Alright, fine..." he muttered as he recalled Dragonair into its pokeball. "Now isn't the time to dwell," He reminded himself, reaching for another pokeball. "I know you'll listen. I choose you, Eevee!"

Eevee landed onto the field, ready to continue battling. The normal type looked back at its trainer, waiting for a command. However, he noticed that Nick wasn't as pumped as before. Wondering what was up, the evolution pokemon turned right at his trainer and started yelling at him. "Ee, eevee, vee!"

Nick was immediately snapped out of whatever trance he was in. "Huh, what?" He asked until he saw the look in Eevee's eyes. One of both worry for its trainer and one of determination. "R-right, sorry Eevee. I'm all better, now, let's win this thing!" He stated, getting his determination back. _"I can't let Dragonair get to me just yet. All of my other pokemon have worked hard to get to this point. I need to stay focused until after the match."_ He told himself as he tried to think of a plan. "Eevee, start off with a quick attack!"

Eevee broke off into a sprint immediately, already knowing the plan. A white light erupted behind Eevee as he made his way for Rhydon.

"Take the hit, then use take down," Blaine stated, smiling at the fact that Nick didn't allow his setback to hold him back.

Rhydon nodded as he stood there, bracing his body for the hit. To his surprise, Eevee put everything he had into the hit, ramming his head right into Rhydon's chest and managing to push the ground type back a few inches.

Rhydon shook off his initial surprise before ramming his whole body right into the normal type. Due to the size difference, Eevee was flung all the way back across the gym, but managed to recover in the air.

"Quick, use a swift attack!" Nick cried out, seeing the perfect chance to attack.

Eevee, while still in the air, swung his tail forward, not only creating the string of stars, but also allowing itself to straighten its whole body and land on all four of its legs.

"Rhydon, crush those stars with stone edge," Blaine commanded as he looked on with one question in his mind. _"What are they planning?"_

Rhydon slammed his fist into the ground, creating the pillars of glowing rocks to form once more. But, instead of using them as a shield, he immediately fired them off.

"Perfect. Now, Eevee, use quick attack to get in close, then use a shadow ball at point blank!" Nick explained, giving Eevee a toothy grin.

The normal type took off running. Now that Rhydon was being distracted by needing to use stone edge to cancel out the swift, there was no way he could counter Eevee's next move or so Nick thought.

Nick watched as Eevee was about to reach Rhydon, only for one of the stones to just miss Eevee, thanks to a quick dodge by the normal type. This continued on as the normal type would be trying to reach Rhydon, a new stone would try and hit him after every few feet.

"Come on, work already..." Nick muttered as he watched almost every star that was launched be destroyed. His hope started to rise when he noticed one star get by unnoticed, the one who's stone was being used on Eevee. "Just hang in there for a few more seconds..."

Rhydon didn't even see it coming. One of the stars hit the ground type right in his face, managing to snap his concentration. The split second was just enough of a distraction, causing every stone to just drop to the ground and give Eevee the room to finish its attack.

The normal type then jumped into the air as a purple and black sphere started to form in its mouth. Nick could tell that Eevee was too close now for Rhydon to counter with another stone edge, but wasn't so sure about any other attacks.

Answering his question was Blaine. "Rhydon, take down attack, now!"

Eevee smirked as he heard the command coming from his opponent. Once he saw Rhydon take his first step, the normal type launched his attack. The shadow ball collided right into the charging drill pokemon pushing him backwards and giving Eevee enough time to land on the ground.

Rhydon got right back up, continuing his charge as he shook off the attack with ease. Nick watched as the giant came running right at Eevee, making the battle look like David vs Goliath.

Smirking once more, Nick found an opening he was hoping to expose. "Eevee, slid underneath, Rhydon! Then, follow up with another shadow ball!" Nick commanded, swinging his arm across his body.

The normal type did as he was told, running to meet Rhydon halfway in the center of the gym. As they grew closer, the ground type lowered his shoulder as he got ready to strike. Seeing the opening Nick was talking about, Eevee sped up, hoping to make it in time.

Just as the duo meet, Eevee dropped to his back as he slid across the floor. Rhydon, being too heavy and moving too fast, was unable to stop in his tracks. Once Rhydon was gone, Eevee jumped up into the air and launched the shadow ball.

The attack struck Rhydon directly in the back of his head, causing the ground type to fall forward and smash his face on the ground. Rhydon rolled over onto his back, showing that he had fainted.

"Return," The gym leader stated as Rhydon returned into its pokeball. "Growlithe, go!" Blaine casually said as he tossed the pokeball onto the field. The fire type appeared from its pokeball, wagging the small tail it had.

"Eevee, stay alert. Who knows what they're capable of," Nick warned the normal type. Eevee nodded in agreement as he kept one eye on Growlithe.

"Growlithe, start off with a flamethrower," Blaine ordered. Despite how far into the battle they were, Blaine was still just as calm as he was before.

Growlithe opened his mouth as a stream of orange red fire straight at Eevee. The stream of fire was giving off a lot of heat, causing both Nick and Eevee to sweat from it.

"Eevee, don't let that hit you!" Nick cried out as he wiped away the sweat that was now running down his face. _"That's strong if it's making me sweat from a distance like this. Then again, it might be because we're in a volcano."_

Eevee had next to no time to react, quickly moving to his left, the normal type tried to dodge the attack. Despite his best efforts, Eevee was still struck on his back legs causing him to wince in pain.

"Now, use take down then follow it up with crunch and don't let go!" Blaine commanded as he wanted to end this quickly.

"Eevee, don't let him get close! Use shadow ball!" Nick commanded, knowing that the situation might not end well. Despite having more pokemon remaining, he knew two of them were tired and wanted as many left when it came to facing Magmar.

Eevee launched off his attack, but every time he launched the shadow ball, Growlithe managed to dodge each one easily. The puppy pokemon would duck under each attack or move to his left or right. Finally, he rammed right into Eevee's side, sending the normal type tumbling backwards.

Growlithe didn't stop there. Just as Eevee was starting to stand back up, Growlithe sunk his teeth right into Eevee's back. The pain caused Eevee to cry out as he collapsed to the ground.

"Call off the attack," Nick asked kindly as he raised Eevee's pokeball. Blaine nodded to Growlithe, signaling to it to let go. "He can't continue on. Return, Eevee!" Eevee was hit by the red stream of light, pulling the fainted pokemon back into its pokeball. "I choose you, Pidgeotto!"

The bird pokemon appeared right in the air this time, not even touching down on the ground. Nick noticed however that Pidgeotto's breathing was a bit heavier and it was having a harder time flying.

"Even Pidgeotto's tired. I have to end this fast," Nick said to himself as he watched Pidgeotto struggle. "Pidgeotto, start off with a quick attack!"

"Pidgeott!" It cried out before dive bombing straight at Growlithe.

"Growlithe, use a take down attack!" Blaine issued as a counter attack.

Growlithe nodded as he started to run right at the tired bird pokemon. Both of them had a white aura form over their bodies. Pidgeotto's aura transformed into the trail of white which was left behind its body. Growlithe on the other hand had the front of his body glow white while a few trails of it flowed off of his body.

The two pokemon meet head on at the middle of the battlefield. Once in reach, Growlithe jumped straight at Pidgeotto, ramming his head right into the flying type's own head. Despite nowhere to push off of, Growlithe managed to overpower Pidgeotto with ease. The puppy pokemon pushed down on Pidgeotto's head, causing the bird pokemon to fall down onto the ground.

"Now, flamethrower!" Blaine issued as he watched on with determination in his eyes.

"Pidgeotto, get out of there, quick!" Nick yelled out, worry and concern filling his voice.

"Grrrllll!" Growlithe stated as he formed the fire type move in his mouth. The stream of fire started to emerge from the opening, having grown even larger than the last time he used it.

"Geo... tto..." The bird pokemon issued as he tried to stand back up. Pidgeotto winced in pain as he forced himself to stand up. Pidgeotto was about to fly off into the air, but collapsed from fatigue.

Pidgeotto lifted his head off of the ground right as the stream of fire engulfed his body. Once the flames hit, Nick lost sight of his newest pokemon as Pidgeotto got swallowed up by the attack.

Once the flames ended, Nick knew Pidgeotto was finished. Nick saw the swirls in Pidgeotto's eyes and lifted its pokeball. "Pidgeotto, return!" He commanded as the red light absorbed the flying type. "Thank you, you did great for our first battle together," He praised before reaching for his last pokeball. "Ok, it's all up to you! I choose you, Charizard!"

The pokeball opened up to reveal the giant fire lizard. With a thud that rivaled Rhydon's Charizard landed on the field.

"Rawwwrrrr!" The fire type exclaimed, stretching out his wings while flexing off his arms. Not even needing a command, Charizard took right off, his right arm glowing a light brown.

Growlithe was caught off guard, he wasn't expecting his opponent to not issue a command. The puppy pokemon looked up at the fire type who was now towering over his body. With one swift movement, Charizard's right arm smashed down onto the ground just missing Growlithe, who had barely rolled to his right in time.

Not one to give up, Charizard immediately whipped his tail around as it smacked Growlithe in the face and sent him skidding across the field.

"Great job, Charizard!" Nick cried out in joy. _"Maybe Charizard will be able to pull this off."_ He thought as Charizard responded with a flamethrower straight into the sky. "Alright, let's get in close with another brick break!" Nick cried, pumping his right arm up over his head.

"Looks like Nick is back to normal," Samurai stated as he watched the trainer get back into his groove. "He was doing well, but then when that event with Dragonair happened he seemed to be shaken up a little."

"Nahh, his other pokemon were just tired," Kegan stated as he watched Charizard fly right for Growlithe. "He knew Eevee and Pidgeotto were tired from earlier fights. He just needed them to tire out grandpa's last two pokemon." He stated, amazed by the battle before him. "It almost worked out for him."

"You have a good understanding of battles for someone so young," Janine added as she smiled at the young boy. "Did your grandpa teach you?"

Kegan brushed the question off as he watched the battle in front of him. "As if, he didn't even tell me he was a gym leader. I learned everything from watching T.V." He explained as the other two with him just a questioning look.

"Growlithe, block his path with a flamethrower!" Blaine commanded as he smiled once again. _"So, this is how exciting a battle can be. I once lost this excitement, but thanks to this kid and a few from earlier I was able to find it again."_

Growlithe nodded as the fire started to form once more. The stream was fired off, but was noticeably weaker than the prior two.

Nick just sighed at the attack. "Charizard, let's show them what our training was like. Cut through that attack with an air slash!"

Charizard stopped flying for a split second while his wings glowed a bright white. He then started to flap them at an alarming rate, creating about a dozen razor sharp blades. Charizard then immediately started to fly right behind the blades, his right arm still glowing.

The twelve blades all hit the flamethrower with the exception of one. The eleven blades cut right through the middle of the attack, allowing a passage way for Charizard.

"Growlithe, get out of there!" Blaine yelled out, worried if Growlithe could handle such an attack at this point in the match.

Growlithe ended the attack immediately as he turned, ready to jump out of the way. However, at the last second, the last air slash blade struck the fire type. The mere blow from the attack caused the puppy pokemon to flinch, making him unable to get away.

"End it, Charizard!" Nick yelled out excitedly as his final pokemon flew out of the tunnel he created in the flamethrower.

The fire type roared in agreement as he smashed his right arm down onto Growlithe's head. The blow of the attack was so powerful that the force pushing down on Growlithe actually dented the floor that the puppy pokemon was standing on.

Dust was kicked up as a breeze formed from the powerful hit. Blaine, already knowing the outcome lifted his pokeball. "Growlithe, return." Upon seeing Nick's expression, Blaine sighed. "I know Growlithe couldn't survive that. Besides, even if he did, I would have forfeited for him. He couldn't handle someone like that." He explained before his whole demeanor changed. "Now, get ready to be burned. Magmar, go!" He yelled out as he threw his two hands over his head.

The lava inside of the volcano started to bubble as the volcano itself shook. Then, out of nowhere, something jumped out of the volcano and landed onto the field. Nick knew that it was Magmar based on the entrance alone.

The young trainer looked at the pokemon that destroyed his ultimate attack last time. He couldn't help but feel a little intimidated. _"Here he is, but, are we ready to win?"_ He asked himself, his hands starting to shake without his notice.

"C-Charizard, start off with a flamethrower!" Nick yelled, noticing his stutter at the beginning. _"Get yourself together"_ He mentally scolded himself before slapping his cheeks.

"Rawwwrrr!" The fire type cried out before launching off his flamethrower attack. The stream looked to be even stronger than Growlithe's own flamethrower and moved at a decent speed.

"Magmar, counter with your own flamethrower!" Blaine commanded as he threw his left arm forward.

"Mag," The spitfire pokemon cried as he fired off his own attack. His looked to be the same exact size as Charizard's attack and moved at the same speed.

The two fire type attacks collided at the middle of the field, crashing into each other. The two attacks combined together as a large sphere of fire formed. The power of the two attacks was shown by the size of the sphere. Fire swirled inside of the sphere, giving off so much heat that everyone started to sweat.

The sphere finally had enough, exploding once it couldn't hold anymore fire. The explosion sent both fire types flying backwards, Charizard right into the wall of the volcano while Magmar was thrown off the side of the field and right into the lava underneath the battlefield.

"Charizard, are you alright?" Nick asked as he turned around to see Charizard freeing himself from the wall. Nick noticed just how far he got wedged in, a small crater having formed upon the fire type's impact. As he watched Charizard break free, Nick tried to slow his heart rate and calm himself down.

Once free, Charizard flew over to the field, landing right in front of his trainer. The fire type started to look around, wondering where his opponent had disappeared to. The flame pokemon was getting annoyed with his opponent, frustrated that he would hide at a time like this.

Blaine noticed the look on Charizard and smirked. "Don't worry, Charizard, my Magmar will appear real soon." He stated right as a splash could be heard. Magmar landed right behind Charizard, dripping with lava. "Now, fire punch!"

"Counter with brick break!" Nick cried out, as he watched the spit fire pokemon's fist become covered in fire.

Charizard swung his whole body around, getting stuck right across the face with a fire punch. A small burn mark was left across his left cheek, but he paid no attention to it as he smashed his right arm down onto Magmar's head.

The fire type shook off the attack as he went in once more with his fists. This time, Charizard caught both of Magmar's fists with his own. Both pokemon were now caught in a dead lock, neither one being able to use their hands. Magmar, however, didn't seem too upset by the fact, instead smiling at the situation.

"What's so funny?" Nick asked once he noticed the smirk across Magmar's face.

"This is , Magmar, use skull bash!" Blaine commanded as he took his glasses off. His eyes were filled with determination, a look that hadn't shown itself in a while.

Before either Nick or Charizard could react, Magmar rammed his head right into Charizard's stomach causing the flame pokemon to let go of his grip. Magmar immediately followed up his last attack with a fire punch right to Charizard's face.

The blow was too much this time, causing Charizard to fall over. The fire type immediately jumped onto his feet as he rubbed the side of his face before letting off a flamethrower up into the sky.

"Charizard, start off with a brick break!" Nick called out, wanting to get in close once again.

Charizard flew right at Magmar, his right arm glowing once again. Charizard landed right in front of the spit fire pokemon as he thrusted his arm down towards his fellow fire type.

Magmar, acting on instincts blocked the attack by grabbing Charizard's arm with both of his own. Magmar was unable to move, constrained by the effort to keep Charizard's arm from crashing into him.

"Now, dragon tail!" Nick cried out, pretending to throw a punch right in front of his body.

Charizard's tail started to glow green before also growing scales on it. Charizard quickly swept it around his body, striking Magmar right in the side, causing him to flinch just enough for the brick break to crash down through Magmar's hands.

The spit fire pokemon stood up following the attacks and seemed to be hardly damaged. Magmar then glared down Charizard, showing that it was ready to end the fight. Charizard meanwhile was starting to pant, the skull bash having done some decent damage to him.

"Magmar, use flamethrower!" Blaine ordered as he clenched his fists.

"Charizard, counter with your flamethrower!" Nick yelled out, wondering what the outcome would be.

Just like before, the two fire types launched off their respective attacks. The two streams of fire collided once more, but unlike last time, the sphere started to move closer towards Magmar.

"What's happening?" Nick asked, unsure of why this was happening. He then looked over at Charizard who was glowing a bright red. "Of course, blaze is kicking in!" He yelled out once he realized the situation.

The sphere finally had enough, exploding once it was near Magmar. The explosion threw Magmar back into the side of the volcano, getting stuck in a crater.

Seeing their chance, Nick attacked. "Charizard, air slash!"

The flame pokemon flapped his wings as blades started to form in the wind. Both Nick and Charizard watched as every single blade hit Magmar. The spit fire pokemon finally broke free from the crater and landed back on the battlefield.

"Magmar! Finish this with giga impact!" Blaine yelled while smirking. This was it, Blaine was pulling out his greatest move.

Magmar jumped into the air as the familiar orange energy surrounded Magmar. Immediately after, the purplish pink bubble surrounded Magmar as he made his descent right for Charizard.

Nick started to feel a little weak as his knees started to shake. Immediately after hearing the attack, Nick was brought right back to the last time it was used. All he could think of was how it beat Dragonair in one hit. "C-Charizard!" Nick yelled out, noticing the nervousness in his voice. "Whatever you do, don't let him hit you!"

Charizard looked back at his trainer and noticed his shaking knees. The fire type turned away, realizing that Nick was truly nervous for the first time. Now facing Magmar, Charizard stomped his feet into the ground, giving himself a better footing. He then spread his wings, making it look like he was about to fly off.

Magmar had the same thought as everyone else, Charizard was going to dodge. However, Magmar was still going to finish his attack. Magmar dove right at Charizard, ready to counter if the flame pokemon moved.

Charizard however wasn't afraid, and instead stood his ground. Shocking everyone, Charizard didn't fly away, but instead caught Magmar in his hands. The force of the attack pushed Charizard backwards until he was right at the edge of the field.

Charizard was starting to sweat now that he had been pushed so far, but even though it looked bad, Charizard wasn't ready to give up. With all his might, Charizard threw Magmar down into the gym floor, giving him a second to breath. Not even waiting for a command, Charizard attacked.

The fire type's tail transformed once again, glowing green while also growing scales. The tail was flung down with all of Charizard's might, smashing it right onto Magmar's head.

The force was more than enough with Charizard already knowing the result. Letting out a sigh, the fire type sat on the ground panting. Nick wasn't sure if it really was over, but looked on with anxiety.

Blaine lowered his head as he walked over to Magmar. Looking at the spit fire pokemon, Blaine saw the swirls in its eyes. Raising his pokeball, Magmar was zapped by the red light before returning to his device.

Nick watched the scene with a look of amazement on his face. He tried to hold back his joy but couldn't help it, running right over to Charizard as he threw himself on top of the fire type. "You did it, Charizard! We're heading to the league!" He cried out in joy as the fire type just sat there due to his fatigue.

Blaine looked over to the celebrating boy with a look of pride on his face. The scene reminded him of when he first went on his own journey. Clearing his throat, Blaine caught Nick's attention. "I must say, that was a perfect match to earn your eighth badge. Now, here is your Volcano badge."

Blaine gently placed the badge into Nick's open hand, making sure the trainer had it before letting go. "Yeah, we finally got it!" Nick cried out as he walked over to his backpack.

Once he made it over to his bag, Nick pulled out his case and placed it right next to his others. "Finally, I have eight badges."

Blaine looked at the case and couldn't help but laugh. "Nick, you miscounted. There are nine badges in that case."

Nick immediately noticed what he was talking about and decided to explain. "Well, that last badge from Dark City isn't a real badge. I only took it out of pity for them."

"That's where you're wrong," Blaine stated as he crossed his arms. "Dark City's gym is currently an official gym on an interim basis due to the destruction of the Viridian Gym. Right now, there badges would allow you to enter. At the end of the season, we'll reevaluate the gym to see if they're capable of being full time leaders."

Nick couldn't help but hang his head in shame. "So, you mean I already had eight badges?" He asked meekly before looking at his case again. "And now I've wasted time that could have been used to train for the League..."

"Hey, lighten up," Kegan said, slapping the trainer on the back before giving him a smile. "Besides, you wouldn't have met me or Pidgeotto."

"Still, I'd rather be training for the league..." Nick said while falling to his knees.

Everyone there couldn't help but laugh at Nick's situation, unaware that they were being watched. With the battle completed, the Fearow who had silently landed on the top of the volcano flew off, having recorded the entire battle.

* * *

"Master, did you find anyone else?" The assistant asked as she walked into the monitor room.

"Just one," The voice spoke, his eyes glued to each of the monitors, each one showing different trainers.

"Would you like an invitation sent to him?" She asked while staring at the recording of Nick's last battle. She waited for a response, only to receive a simple head nod from the cloaked figure. Taking it as a yes, she started to leave the room. "As you wish, but it won't reach him until morning."

* * *

 **This was a longer chapter this week. I wanted to make the last gym a little harder with it being a full battle. Also, I wanted to start showing signs of Dragonair becoming disobedient. Also, I wanted to joke around with Nick already having eight badges once he won his ninth, thinking that it was number eight. For the time being, Samurai and Janine won't get much focus until the group heads back to Clear Village, but they will still get some focus, just the main focus will go to Nick since he's the main character.**

 **Thank you for reading this story, please leave a review on what was good about this chapter and how I can improve.**

 **Team:**

 **Nick- 9 badges:**

 **Eevee- swift, quick attack, dig, shadow ball**

 **Kingler- water gun, crabhammer, stomp, mud shot**

 **Charizard- flamethrower, air slash, dragon tail, brick break**

 **Pidgeotto – tackle, quick attack, sand-attack, gust**

 **Hitmonchan- mach punch, agility, comet punch, thunder punch**

 **Dragonair- Twister, Ice beam, Dragon Tail, Shock Wave**

 **At Oak's:**

 **Beedrill- poison sting, fury attack, twinneedle, hyper beam**

 **Shellder**

 **Gastly- night shade, venoshock, hypnosis, dark pulse**

* * *

 **Samurai- league exam badge:**

 **Pinsir- x-scissor, earthquake, harden, revenge**

 **Venonat- supersonic, poison fang, confusion, signal beam**

 **Parasect- energy ball, stun spore, fury cutter, slash**

 **Sandshrew- Rollout, mud-slap, dig, scratch**

 **Golduck- Fury Swipes, Water Pulse, Screech**

 **At home:**

 **Butterfree- aerial ace, sleep powder**

* * *

 **Janine- league exam badge:**

 **Venonat- psybeam, foresight,**

 **Golbat- wing attack, hypnosis, venoshock, shadow ball**

 **Grimer- flamethrower, poison jab, minimize, mud-slap**

 **Vulpix- ember, flame charge, attract, energy ball**


	48. Mewtwo's Revenge

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Pokemon**

* * *

"And you said this invitation was given to you by a Dragonite?" Blaine asked as he looked at the envelope.

"Yeah, I was heading back here from the pokemon center when a Dragonite landed right in front of me. Not expecting it, I jumped back like this," Nick said as he reenacted his earlier experience.

"Ok, but, we can do without the reenactment," Samurai said as he poked fun at the trainer. "Just tell us what happened."

"Well, the Dragonite was different," Kegan said as he stood on a chair. "I thought it was funny looking cause it had a mail bag with it."

"He asked me to tell the story, not you!" Nick yelled as he pushed the young boy out of the way. "Anyways, the Dragonite landed right in front of me and pulled the invitation out. Not thinking, I immediately replied with a yes before even opening it."

Janine reached for the envelope and took it off of the table. "Well, we aren't going to learn what it is if we don't open it," She reasoned, slowly opening the envelope and pulling out a card. "Huh, it's just a blank card," She said, only to be cut off by a projection.

The card projected a blue light from the middle of it, creating a hologram of a woman dressed in a brown gown along with a white hat. The woman looked familiar, but no one could put their finger on who it reminded them of.

"Greetings," The lady spoke, even her voice sounded familiar. "It is with my honor to inform you that my master, the greatest pokemon trainer in the world has invited you to join him at party. Included with the party is a tournament filled with Kanto's strongest trainers with the prize being a match against my Master. The party will be held on New Island, located between Cinnabar Island and Pallet Town. You can reach the island by leaving from the Old Shore Wharf docks, located just south of Pallet Town. All invited trainers are allowed just one guest each. It is recommended to head here immediately." The woman said before the projection died out.

"Cool!" Kegan yelled out, completely fascinated by the message. "I can't believe I'm seen as one of the best trainers in all of Kanto!"

"It's for me!" Nick yelled before slapping the kid over the back of his head. Nick then lowered his voice as he looked at the card. "Still, to think, I'll be seeing the greatest pokemon trainer ever..." Nick muttered as he tried to picture who it could be in his head. "I hope it's Red!"

"Still, you can only bring one person with you, but you have two friends." Samurai pointed out as he pointed a finger between both himself and Janine. "So, who will you take?"

"Yeah, who will you take?" Janine asked as both herself and Samurai moved closer, getting right into Nick's face. "Come on, I know you'd rather pick me over Samurai."

"No, he's going to take me!" Samurai yelled as he put Nick in a playful headlock. "We've known each other much longer."

Blaine watched the scene before him with a serious expression before he cleared his throat, getting everyone's attention. By this point, Kegan, Janine and Samurai were all right in front of Nick, trying to get him to take them with him. "None of you will be going. I do not trust this man one bit. So, I shall be accompanying Nick. I have a hunch that I know this person and I must see to it that they don't do anything wrong."

"You sure Grandpa?" Kegan asked as he climbed off of Nick's shoulders. "You mind if I tag along?"

"No!" He said sternly, actually raising his voice at his grandson for the first time. "Nick and I will leave later today while you three shall board the next boat to Pallet Town and wait there for us." He said, grabbing the invitation.

Nick just looked at Blaine who shot him a look that meant 'not now'. Knowing that it might have something to do with their conversation the other night, Nick decided to not push the issue.

"I guess that's fine, I didn't really plan on going in the first place. I only checked off yes to get that Dragonite to leave," Nick said as he threw his hands behind his head. He then faced his two friends who both seemed a little disappointed. "You two alright? It'll probably be very boring. I'll end up just losing in my first battle, these trainers are extremely skilled and I was probably just a last minute throw in to even the numbers."

"Hey, no problem." Samurai said as he lightly punched Nick's shoulder. "Besides, I was just going to enter in your place once we got there," He explained before laughing at the whole situation.

"Yeah, I'm fine too," Janine added as she walked over to Nick. "I just wanted to see who this great trainer is, but I trust Blaine's judgement about this."

Kegan however wasn't as thrilled. Standing there, he had his fists balled by his sides like he was ready to fight someone. _"They think they can leave me behind... Think again! I just need to find a way to sneak on grandpa's boat."_ Kegan thought as he noticed Nick's backpack leaning against the wall. It seemed to be the same size as Kegan and would be perfect as well. "Yeah, I'm fine as well. But, when you meet up with us, you have to battle me!"

"That's a deal!" Nick agreed as he shook Kegan's hand. "Now, I need to get ready, I don't know how long I'll be there." He said before leaving.

* * *

"You guys all set?" Nick asked as he handed Samurai directions to his house. "If my parents aren't home, just head right to Professor Oak's lab."

"Don't worry, we'll be fine," Samurai said, helping to calm some of Nick's nerves. The sky was now starting to darken while the ocean was also a little choppy.

"We probably won't even get to Pallet Town until tomorrow at best," Janine added as a wave crashed up over the docks. "Who knows if we even get out of here today."

"Just be careful," Blaine said as he tossed his and Nick's bags into his boat. It was a smaller one, not used for long trips but instead for day trips when he wanted to get to nearby islands. "And, keep an eye on Kegan, he'll try and cause trouble when given the chance."

"We should get going," Nick said to Blaine as they climbed into his boat. "Who knows how long this will take us. Especially in this weather."

"Right," Blaine agreed as he started the motor to his boat. "We'll see you all once this is finished. Tell Professor Oak I say hello!" He yelled over the motor as the boat took off.

Samurai started to look around the crowd, now realizing that Kegan was missing. "Hey, where did Kegan go?"

"I thought you were watching him?" Janine said as she started to look around as well.

"No, you told me you'd watch him!" Samurai cried out as he spotted a third person now on Blaine's boat. "Look! He snuck onto the boat!"

"Great, not even five minutes and he's already gotten away," Janine stated as she dropped to her knees. "Well, there's nothing we can do now but get on the boat."

* * *

"This is going to be great!" Kegan whispered as he silently walked around the boat, making his way to the captain's quarters. "I'll make a grand entrance and all of the trainers will be like 'oh, Kegan, you're so cool! We wish we were like you.'" He stated as he started to smile at his little fantasy.

Once he made it to the room, Kegan stopped himself before entering upon hearing Nick and his grandpa talking. "Huh, what are they up to?"

"So, you really believe this has to do with Team Rocket?" Nick asked as he pulled the invitation out of his pocket.

"Yes," Blaine stated as he steered the boat, barely avoiding a large wave. "And, I think it has to do with the project that they wanted my help with."

Nick nodded his head in agreement as he looked at the weather. "So, you believe that they finally cloned Mew? If that's the case, we might be in trouble."

Blaine reached for an old picture he had next to him and handed it over to Nick. "The others in that picture are Dr. Fuji and Dr. Smith. I had my suspicions that Team Rocket was involved because the last time I talked to Smith was when he told me he was getting his very own lab. And, to top it off, it was in the same location."

"I see," Nick replied as he placed the picture back down, careful not to damage it. "I think this weather might be caused by them as well. That way, only the bravest and strongest trainers will make the journey. Then they can steal all of the tired out pokemon and use them to take over the world."

"But, they wouldn't be expecting us to take a boat," Blaine added right as a rogue wave hit them. The force of the wave caused the boat to rock back and forth, causing Kegan to roll right through the door.

"Owww, my head," The young boy said as he sat on the ground, clutching his head.

"Kegan!" Blaine yelled once he saw his grandson on the floor of his boat. "What do you think you're doing here, I told you to head to Pallet Town with the others!"

Kegan tried to stand up, but the rocky ocean caused him to fall right onto his behind. "Well, I figured it was only fitting that I could see the greatest pokemon trainer ever considering that I plan on being the greatest."

"Now isn't the time to think like that!" Blaine continued as he stared at the young boy. "Do you know how dangerous this is?"

"B-Blaine!" Nick yelled out.

The trainer had looked out the window for the first time they had left Cinnabar Island and had finally seen how bad it was. The skies were pitch black despite it being the middle of the day. Lighting was the only thing that brought any light, brightening up the sky every so often. Even the waves had gotten worst, with one that was twice the size of the boat coming right for them.

"W-we have a big problem!" He explained, pulling the gym leader right back to the steering wheel.

Blaine noticed the wave coming right for them and tried to do his best to avoid it. "Everyone, hold on! This might get a little rocky!" He stated as he started to turn the wheel.

The boat was now parallel to the wave, its side lined right up against the wave. The wave crashed down onto the boat, soaking the outside of it and causing the entire vessel to perform a barrel roll.

Once the boat was right side up again, Nick let out his breath, having held it once he saw the wave crash down. "T-that was too close..." He muttered as he sat on the floor, clutching his chest. "I think I saw my whole life flash before my eyes."

But before he could completely relax, all three of the passengers saw an even larger wave coming right at them. Nick braced himself as he grabbed onto the side of the boat. Kegan on the other hand was looking out the window with eager eyes.

"I'll do my best to keep us afloat," Blaine stated as he started to pull different levers. "The only thing we can do is ram it. Nick, get Kingler ready just in case."

"O-ok," Nick said, gulping at the sight of the wave before them.

Little did the group know that a small creature was watching from afar. The pink cat like being was floating around in the sky, allowing itself to be blown around by the wind. "Mew?" The creature asked as it noticed a boat in the water. The creature watched as the boat tried to climb up a wave only to start t fail and begin to be tossed backwards.

"Mew mew!" It cried out in joy, seeing a new play thing for the time being. The cat like being focused on the ship right as its entire body started to glow a light blue. The same light blue soon covered the entire ship as it began to make it over the wave, landing safely on the other side.

The boat then rode down the wave, picking up enough speed to allow it to break through the smaller waves.

Seeing that its play toy had gotten away, the cat being sighed before its entire body glowed white. In a split second, the flying cat disappeared from sight.

Nick let go of the railing as he tried to slow his breathing. At the same time, the trainer decided to sit down, hoping that the worst part of the storm was behind them. "O-okay, I hope that was it. I don't even know how we got over that wave."

Kegan on the other hand was enjoying it. "That was great! Can we do it again?"

"No!" Both Nick and Blaine yelled as the boat straightened out.

"Kegan, just sit down and please, once we reach the island just stay in this boat!" Blaine pleaded with his grandson as he kept both eyes on the ocean.

* * *

"Hey, I think I see something," Nick pointed out as he could start to make out the shape of a large castle. It had to be the place, considering that there was no storm there and the clouds actually parted over the building allowing sunlight to shine over it.

"That must be the place," Blaine concluded as steered the boat towards the only island around for miles. "This is not what I expected at all," he stated as he removed his glasses to get a better look at the building.

Kegan, however, was amazed by the sight of it. "That's so cool! I bet it looks even better from the inside. You have to let me come!" He pleaded as he got down onto his knees.

"No! You do not know how dangerous this might be!" Blaine yelled, snapping at his grandson. Calming himself down, the gym leader looked right at the young boy. "Kegan, I am willing to make a deal with you. If you behave yourself and stay on the boat, I will not force you to attend Pokemon Tech."

"Deal!" Kegan shouted once he heard the offer. However, the boy had other thoughts. _"Sorry, Grandpa, but there is no way I'm missing this."_ He thought to himself before sitting down next to Nick's bag.

"Now, Nick, be prepared for anything," Blaine stated as he pulled his boat up to the island. "Who knows what we'll encounter while here. Do not drop your guard."

"Right," Nick said, nodding his head in agreement. "This place looks a lot creepier when you're up close," he muttered, looking up at the now looming over the duo. It looked more like a fortress than a castle though, with its large iron doors and how the building itself shot straight up with a few smaller extrusions built off of the sides.

"W-we better get going," Nick stuttered, starting to feel a little overpowered by the castle before him. Moving, Nick lifted his bag onto his shoulders and got off of the boat. _"Strange, my bag feels a little heavier than normal."_ He thought to himself before shrugging it off.

Blaine was the first one at the door and looked at it with a confused look on his face. "Now, how exactly do we get in? This place seems to be well protected from any attacks, so I doubt we could just walk in," he stated right as the doors started to open on their own.

The iron doors continued to open slowly, giving off an eerie feeling as they did. Once fully opened, Nick could see a young woman standing at the entrance. Thinking back to the invitation, the woman seemed familiar. She had a brown dress on that covered her entire body along with a brown headdress that went along with the dress.

"Welcome," she said with a monotonous voice. "My master has been waiting for you to arrive. May I first see your invitation?" She asked while waiting to let them in. Once Nick handed over the invitation, she continued speaking. "Please come inside, some trainers have already arrived," She said, motioning them to enter.

Nick and Blaine followed the orders and entered the building. Once inside, the iron doors shut behind them with a loud thud, indicating that there would be no going back. Once inside, Nick noticed just how bare the walls were. Outside of a few candles lighting up the hallways, there was absolutely nothing on them. Even the walls managed to give off an eerie feeling based on the design. They looked like some strange futuristic design and were metallic.

"Your master, will he be showing up soon?" Nick asked as they walked down the hall, peering into each room they passed by.

"Soon, he is just waiting for the last of you to pass his test," She replied in the same monotone voice.

"Test?" Blaine asked as he raised an eyebrow at the statement. "Do you mean the storm? If so, how could one man create that?"

The assistant didn't seem fazed by the question. "My master is an amazingly powerful being. He can do the impossible. He only wanted those who were brave and strong enough to make it here through the storm to be present today," she explained before pushing open two wooden doors.

The inside of the hall was much different than the rest of the castle. In the center was a long table lined with food for anyone to take. Above it was a large chandelier, giving off a large amount of light. Off to the side was a pool filled with water for any water types to swim in. No one noticed at the time, but off to the left there was a spiral staircase leading up to another level.

"Please, join the other trainers who have made the journey out here. Please release your pokemon from their pokeballs," She said, snapping Nick out of his trance.

Nick did as she said, letting the six pokemon he had used in his last gym match out of their devices. He then faced back to the lady before speaking. "Do you know when the last trainers are going to get here? I'd really like to meet your master!" Nick explained, his fists raised in front of his body.

"Soon enough, there are only a few remaining trainers," the woman explained before walking out of the room. "Please enjoy yourself, I must leave for now, but I'll be back when more guests arrive," She said, closing the doors behind her.

"Blaine, this doesn't feel like a trap at all," Nick said as he sat down at the table. Moving slowly, he noticed that there were only three other trainers in the hall. Nick carefully placed his backpack down onto the table as he faced the closest trainer near him. "Hi, the name's Nick," he said, extending his hand out to the trainer.

"Hey, I'm Corey," the boy said as he accepted Nick's hand. The boy seemed to be about the same height as Nick, but seemed to be a few years older than him based off of his more mature features. His shoulders were a little broader than Nick's and his face was a little more filled in. He had dark blue hair that spiked off to the left side of his head. It also contained two bangs, one large one in the center of his face that stopped at his eyebrows and a shorted one right to the left of the first one.

He was dressed in an orange track suit that had a red stripe run right down the middle. The jacket had a red collar which was pointed up as it sat around his neck. He also wore matching track pants that were orange with red stripes running down the sides. Also, there were pokeball logos stitched onto the sides of the pants.

"Your pokemon look pretty tough," he mentioned, giving each of Nick's pokemon a serious look before facing his own. "Guys, say hello," he told them before his own pokemon walked over. Among them were a Pidgeot, Venusaur, Rhyhorn, Scyther, Hitmonlee and Sandslash.

"Wow," Nick said as he looked at each one of them. "All of your pokemon look amazing. You must be challenging gyms with a group like that!" Nick stated as he continued watching them.

Corey shrugged his shoulders as he looked at the pokemon interacting. "I competed in the League two years ago. That was my first year as a trainer and I made it to the top 64. After that I took the next year off, just travelling around Kanto, waiting until I felt ready to compete again," he explained as he placed his arms behind his head.

"Well, you'll have to beat me to win it this year," Nick said excitedly, jumping out of his seat.

Corey looked up from his seat and made eye contact with Nick. "I wasn't expecting to compete again this soon, but, I can't let you rookie have all the fun," he stated, smirking at Nick's expression.

A smile crossed over Nick's face once he heard those words. He was ready to say something else, but the cries of more pokemon caught him off guard. Looking over to his left, Nick noticed a group of water pokemon led by a Gyarados. "Wow, look at all of those pokemon!"

"Yep, they're all mine and they're all super strong," a new voice stated. Looking down the table, Nick noticed a boy sitting at the other end. He had on a teal tank top along with a pair of red fingerless gloves. Around his neck was a small white necklace. He also had on blue shorts and a pair of red sneakers. His hair was blond and spiked a little off to the side of his head.

"The name's Fergus," he stated, waving his hand as if the whole introduction was unnecessary. "Of course, you must have heard about me. I am training to become a water pokemon master. To do that, I have only caught water types."

Nick just looked at the boy like he was crazy. "You do realize that not all of your pokemon are water types, right?" Nick asked as he looked back and forth between the trainer and his six pokemon.

"Of course they all are!" He yelled, jumping out of his seat and walking over to Nick. "Look at them! Gyarados, Seadra, Golduck, Vaporeon, Tentacruel and Nidoqueen are all water types. Just look at them, they're all colored blue!"

Nick couldn't help it, he knew it was wrong, but he laughed at the trainer's explanation. "Just because a pokemon is colored a certain way doesn't mean it is a certain type."

"Are you calling me an idiot!?" Fergus yelled as he lifted Nick off of the ground. "I know all about my pokemon and I know that they're all water types."

Blaine, seeing the commotion from his set, rushed over to help Nick. "Just calm down," he stated, forcing the boy to release his grasp on Nick. "He wasn't saying anything. But, Nidoqueen is not a water type."

"Prove it!" Fergus stated, getting into Blaine's face now. "If it isn't a water type, then how can it learn surf?"

Nick could tell that they were getting nowhere with the trainer so he pulled out his pokedex. "Just listen for yourself," he said without any emotion in his voice.

He then opened up the device and pointed it right at Nidoqueen. "Nidoqueen, the Drill Pokémon. It is a ground and poison type. Nidoqueen has thick skin covering its entire body, protecting it from whatever techniques are used against it."

Fergus looked at the device with a look of shock on his face. "So, this whole time I've been telling a lie to everyone..."

"I don't see how it would change anything," Nick said, placing his pokedex back into his pocket. "You still care for Nidoqueen just as you would any other pokemon."

"Yeah," Fergus started before he clenched his fists. "But, do you know how many people I managed to convince that Nidoqueen was a water type?"

"If I may interrupt," a third voice said as she coughed. The third person was a female dressed in a light purple crop top that had dark purple running down the sides and a white collar a pokeball keychain around her neck and yellow-tan pants. She also had gold sneakers. "I haven't introduced my pokemon yet," she stated, pointing to a group of six pokemon. Among them was a Wigglytuff, Blastoise, Dewgong, Rapidash, Vileplume and Ninetails. "Nice to meet you, the name's Neesha."

"Hi, I'm Nick," he said before pointing at his six pokemon. "And these are the six pokemon I have on hand. Eevee, Kingler, Charizard, Hitmonchan, Dragonair and Pidgeotto."

Nick then had enough of introducing himself and decided to head back to the table. "So, anyone have any ideas of about how many trainers were invited?"

"When I left Old Shore Wharf docks earlier, the whole Pokemon Center was crammed with people trying to take the ferry over to here," Corey stated as he began to pet his Pidgeot. "But because of the storm, all boats were forced to stay docked."

"W-wait, all the boats are docked in the mainland!?" Nick asked, practically jumping out of his seat. "If that's the case, how did you all get here?"

"Hurricane strength winds are nothing for Pidgeot. We flew right through the storm," Corey explained, smirking at the feat.

"I rode on Gyarados," Fergus explained, pointing over at his water type.

"And I rode on my Dewgong," Neesha added in.

"Wow, you guys all travelled here by the strength of your pokemon," Nick muttered as he looked at Eevee who was in front of him. "We traveled by boat and even then we barely made it. I don't think we could have made it by riding our pokemon."

Just then, the doors leading into the room swung open as three more trainers walked in along with a Pikachu, Bulbasaur, Squirtle, Psyduck, Vulpix and another pokemon Nick had never seen before. It looked to be a shell of some sort, but the pokemon's head, arms and legs were sticking out. Nick knew the three trainers immediately, recognizing them as Ash, Brock, and Misty.

"What took you so long?" Corey asked, acting as if they had already met.

"We got caught in the storm," Ash replied as he looked at Corey and Pidgeot and then at Fergus and Neesha. "How did you guys all get here?"

"It was no problem flying here on my Pidgeot," Corey explained once again.

"And the waves were no problem for my Gyarados," Fergus added.

"Wow, I heard that Gyarados are hard to tame," Ash said, showing just how impressed he was with the trainer.

Fergus smirked from the compliment. "They are, but once you tame them, they become a strong pokemon for you."

Ash then looked to his left and noticed both Nick and Blaine sitting at the table. "Nick? Blaine? What are you two doing here?"

"Really? You didn't think that I would be invited to this?" Nick jokingly asked as he leaned back in his chair. "Blaine's my guest, but how were you able to bring two?"

"Actually," Brock said, joining the conversation. "When we were in Pallet Town, Zach gave us his invitation as he had no desire to show up."

"That's Zach, so stuck up, thinking he's above the rest of us," Nick muttered, clenching his fists at the explanation.

"Every one, please be quiet, my Master approaches," the servant stated, interrupting the conversations.

Immediately following the announcement the lights in the room dimmed and a blue light emerged from the center of the spiral staircase which was in the center of the room. "You are all about to meet my Master. The time has come for your encounter with the greatest pokemon master on Earth," the servant stated as she turned to look at the group of trainers.

"Finally, this is what I've been waiting for!" Nick cried out with excitement. His joy alone made him forget all about his anger at Zach. The trainer then leaned towards his backpack and whispered. "Hey, you don't want to miss this, come on out."

The sound of a bag being unzipped could be heard as Kegan stuck his head out of the backpack. "H-how'd you know I was in here?" He asked the trainer sitting in front of him.

Nick smirked at the boy before lifting him out of the backpack. "Well for starters, I could feel you moving around in there and also, my backpack was a lot heavier than before. But, in all honesty, how did you fit in there?"

"Oh, that's easy," Kegan stated while smiling at the trainer. "I took everything out of your bag and left it on Grandpa's ship."

"You did what!?" Nick asked before noticing Eevee climb into the backpack. "Huh, what's the matter Eevee?"

Instead of replying, Eevee instead burrowed its way deeper into the backpack. Feeling like something was up, Nick looked around the whole room and noticed that all of the pokemon were acting strange for a reason. It was almost as if something bad was going to happen.

"What's going on here?" He asked himself as he noticed his remaining five pokemon all surround him out of concern for his wellbeing. "Even they can tell that something is happening."

"What's that?" Ash asked as a figure started to descend from the blue light.

Hearing Ash's question, Nick looked up at the light and noticed a strange creature floating downwards. It looked like a mix between a cat and some kind of alien like creature. The being was gray in color with the exception of a tail which was purple and its stomach which was also purple.

Wondering if this could be the one thing Blaine feared, Nick took a look at the older man and saw him sweating like crazy. _"So this is the creature that Blaine was afraid of. I wonder how strong it is."_

"Yes. The world's greatest pokemon master is also the most powerful pokemon on Earth," the servant explained as she glorified her master. "This is the ruler of New Island and soon the whole world, Mewtwo."

Upon seeing the creature, Fergus jumped out of his seat with rage. "A pokemon can't be a pokemon master! No way!" He yelled out, clenching his right fist in front of his chest.

"Quiet human," the servant said, her voice was much different now, more gravelly and much deeper, as if she was being possessed. "I'm the one who makes the rules."

"H-how's it talking?" Misty asked as she watched it communicate through its servant.

Brock knew the answer right away as he looked at both the servant and Mewtwo. "It's psychic!"

As if on cue, Mewtwo lifted up his three fingered hand as a blue glow emerged around it. To everyone's shock, the same blue glow soon covered Fergus's entire body as he was lifted off of the ground. Mewtwo toyed with the trainer as he increased the pressure that his attack was causing on the boy, managing to increase his pain. Watching the trainer cry out in pain, Mewtwo laughed to himself before tossing him into the pool that contained Fergus' water pokemon.

Landing with a splash, Fergus appeared above the water unharmed but was now enraged. "Ghhhh, we'll show you! Go, Gyarados, use hyper beam!"

"Fergus, call off the attack!" Blaine yelled out, finally coming back to his senses. "It's useless, Mewtwo is just too powerful!"

"No way, no one treats me like that and gets away with it!" Fergus yelled through gritted teeth.

The water and flying type jumped out of the pool of water before charging straight at the psychic type. Once he was close enough, Gyarados opened his mouth as a large beam of orange energy shot out of it.

Mewtwo stood there calmly as he watched the incoming attack. "If that is your best," he muttered to himself as he raised his left hand and placed it in front of his body. Out of nowhere, three transparent rings emerged right in front of him and blocked the hyper beam before firing it right back at Gyarados.

The returned attack hit Gyarados right in the chest, sending him flying backwards and right back into the pool of water. A huge wave was created from the impact, sending water everywhere and soaking Fergus' other pokemon.

"G-Gyarados!" Fergus cried out before jumping into the water after his pokemon. "Come on, say something to me pal," he asked, as he checked on the water type.

"What power," Brock commented as he looked at the defeated Gyarados. "Not just anyone could deflect a hyper beam at that range and still knock out a pokemon."

"It was nothing more than child's play," Mewtwo explained through his telepathic link. "None of you stand a chance against me at all." He then looked at the priceless faces on all of the trainers gathered before him and then at his servant.

"You're usefulness has ended," Mewtwo said without the link. Moving his hand across his body, Mewtwo cancelled out whatever psychic manipulation he had on the person.

The servant's eyes appeared to have changed immediately as they seemed to clear from a murky black into a normal blue. "Uhhh," she weakly stated before falling forward and losing her hat. Underneath the accessory, it was shown that she had pink hair and was actually a Nurse Joy.

Moving quickly, Brock managed to catch the falling nurse in his arms, preventing her from crashing against the hard ground. Now safe, Nurse Joy seemed to fully open her eyes and saw Brock holding her. "Nurse Joy, you're alright!" He cried out happily. If it wasn't for the situation they were now in, he would have definitely asked her out on a date.

"W-where am I?" She asked the trainer who was helping her balance. "And how in the world did I get here?"

"You have been under my control," Mewtwo stated, causing everyone to look in his direction. "I transported you here a while ago from the Pokemon Center. Your knowledge on pokemon physiology proved to be very useful for my plan and now I have cleansed your tiny human brain of all your memories from the past few weeks," Mewtwo explained as he towered over the nurse.

"Who are you!?" Brock yelled out, furious that anyone would try and use Nurse Joy for their own wicked delight.

Mewtwo just casually looked over at the Pokemon Breeder before answering. "I am the new ruler of this world. The master of humans and pokemon alike."

"You're just a bully!" Misty argued back.

"Pika!" Pikachu added in from Ash's shoulder as his cheeks sparked.

"Mewtwo, end this nonsense!" Blaine yelled out, shocking the crowd since he had been silent for the most part. "I realize you must have endured some hardships, but do not take it out on the entire world!"

"I cannot allow that to happen," Mewtwo replied calmly. "I have seen too much evilness from you humans. Using us as tools for your own enjoyment, but that all ends now."

"Mewtwo, believe me! Not all people are like Team Rocket!" Blaine yelled out as he removed his glasses, showing his eyes to the creature. "Please, tell me what happened to Dr. Smith!"

"T-that face, I remember it from somewhere," Mewtwo stated as he remembered back to a picture he had seen while in a tube. The picture had three men in it, one of which was the elder man standing in the room before him.

"Blaine, what do you mean by that?" Ash asked, unsure how Team Rocket had anything to do with this.

Blaine sighed as he looked at Mewtwo, the creature was trying to figure out why this man was important. "A few years back, myself and two collages were hired to clone Mew and create the ultimate pokemon. That would turn into Mewtwo."

"You created this thing for Team Rocket!" Ash yelled, upset that Blaine would force anything to work with that organization.

Blaine shook his head as Mewtwo stared at him. "I never finished the project, leaving it before it was completed. I didn't think that we should have been playing God, but I couldn't convince Dr. Smith to join me and Dr. Fuji."

"Smith, he was the man on this island?" Mewtwo asked, receiving a nod from Blaine. "Then that means I killed him when I destroyed his entire laboratory in an explosion."

"But, don't you regret any of this!?" Blaine yelled, hoping to reason with the creature he was partially responsible for. "They were all innocent lives!"

"Regret what? Humans are dangerous creatures. Promising partnerships only to enslave you," Mewtwo explained as he remembered his first meeting with Team Rocket. "At first, you had no purpose for me but to become the ultimate weapon. You admitted it yourself. But now, now I have my own purpose. With my storm, I shall create my own perfect world. First by destroying yours and then by rebuilding it."

"So, you hate all humans and you're going to destroy us to save all the pokemon?" Brock asked, knowing that it was hopeless to argue.

Mewtwo shook his head as he looked on with disgust. "No, your pokemon will not be spared. They have all disgraced themselves by serving you humans and have become nothing but slaves."

"That isn't true!" Nick yelled while slamming his fists onto the table. "Every single one of my pokemon chose to travel with me, we're more than a team, we're a family! We look out for each other and we grow stronger as a group!"

"Yeah, pokemon aren't meant to be weapons, they're our friends!" Ash joined in as Pikachu jumped off of his shoulder.

"Pika pika!"

"So, you say that I'm wrong? That you are not this human's servant but instead his friend." Mewtwo repeated from the electric mouse.

"Pika," Pikachu replied, nodding his head in agreement.

"You're just as pathetic as the rest," Mewtwo stated as his eyes glowed blue.

Pikachu started to lift off of the ground as his body was covered in a blue aura. Moving quickly, Pikachu was thrown backwards by Mewtwo but was caught quickly by Ash. Due to the force of the throw, Ash ended up on the ground.

"Pika pi?" Pikachu asked as he looked at Ash on the ground.

"Pikachu, you're alright," Ash stated as he lifted the mouse up into the air.

"Hmph," Mewtwo said as he looked at the act before him. "Humans and Pokemon can't ever be friends."

"Grrr, stop picking on Pikachu!" Yelled Ash as he stood back up.

Corey had seen enough of this and was tired of it. "Since you're a pokemon, there is no reason why I can't catch you. Rhyhorn, take down attack!"

Rhyhorn charged right at the psychic type pokemon with all of his might. Once he reached it, Rhyhorn lowered his head as he prepared to ram into Mewtwo. Mewtwo however wasn't fazed in the slightest. Instead, he stood there calmly and raised his right hand. Using just his psychic powers, Mewtwo was able to stop Rhyhorn in its tracks and lift him into the air.

Corey looked on in shock, no one had ever stopped Rhyhorn before. "Uhhh." Was all he could mutter as Rhyhorn was launched across the room and skidded across the table. "No, Rhyhorn!" Corey yelled as he ran over to his defeated pokemon.

"It is useless. Your pokemon's attacks cannot weaken me. My power is too great, no trainer will ever conquer me," Mewtwo boldly stated.

"If that's true, then you won't mind proving it in a real match," Ash yelled back, standing confidently before the psychic type.

"Very well. Each one of you will have a shot at battling me. If one of you can defeat me, then I shall end my destruction," Mewtwo explained to the trainers as his eyes glowed blue.

* * *

Kegan, who had been hiding the whole time thought that this would be his perfect opportunity. _"I'll attack with Magby now that he's distracted. That giant cat won't know what hit him!"_ Kegan thought with a smile across his face. "Alright, let's do this," he whispered as he opened up Magby's pokeball.

"Mag?" The live coal pokemon asked, confused by its current location.

"Listen Magby, right now we're at this island with some cool looking pokemon. Right now he's distracted so we're going to beat him up and then capture him."

Knowing that this was a bad idea, Magby started to shake his arms around. "Magby, mag, mag, Magby!"

Not understanding the message entirely, Kegan smiled at the fire type before petting its head. "You're right, Magby! We should let the others tire Mewtwo out then we'll catch him!"

"Mag!?" The live coal pokemon cried out, hanging his head in defeat.

"With this Mewtwo we could beat anyone," Kegan explained as his eyes shined with excitement.

* * *

As the group waited, three spots in the floor opened up as the outlines of three creatures could be seen. Mewtwo knew what they were and began to talk again. "Just like most starting trainers, I too had a Charmander, Bulbasaur, and Squirtle. But for their evolve forms, I used genetic material to clone more powerful copies," he explained as the three starters appeared.

Unlike the normal pokemon, these three had strange markings across their bodies. Blastoise had green lines running across the top and sides of his face along with his shell having brown markings all over it. Venusaur had light blue dots and lines all over its body and Charizard had dark red stripes across its face, neck, back, arms and legs.

"Copies!" Neesha yelled out, sounding disgusted at the revelation. "How could you do that to those pokemon?"

Within a second, the large wall behind Mewtwo disappeared, shocking all of the trainers. Behind it was a large battlefield with stands for people to watch in. The field was lit up, having two large poles covered in lights.

"Wow, look at the size of that field," Nick said excitedly, completely forgetting the stakes behind the battles. "It's larger than most of the League's fields."

Corey ran in front of everyone else, fists raised before him. "Grrr, your fake Venusaur can't beat my real one! I'll prove to you just how strong we are. Right, Venusaur," He stated as both himself and Venusaur led the way into stadium.

"Corey, do not be rash in your judgement," Blaine stated as he placed a hand on the trainer's shoulder. "This was my mistake and I'll be the one to fix it."

"Alright, but I'll be the next to battle him," Corey said, moving out of the way so that the gym leader could walk to the field.

"This will be a one-on-one match Mewtwo!" Blaine yelled as he tossed out a pokeball. "Go, Magmar!"

"You stated before that you helped create me," Mewtwo sighed before walking onto the field himself. "Normally I wouldn't battle myself, but I have to crush you and make sure you regret ever creating me."

"Magmar, please, we need to show Mewtwo that not all people are evil. We need to show him just how well people and pokemon work together. Start off with flamethrower!" Blaine told his pokemon. The gym leader hoped that through his actions in this battle, Mewtwo could see the good in people.

"Mag," the spit fire pokemon sated before launching off a stream of flames.

Mewtwo sighed as he lifted one hand up to block the attack. The genetic pokemon wanted to have a little fun with the fire type and its trainer. Instead of deflecting the attack, Mewtwo just blocked it, causing the flames to scatter in different directions once it hit his hand.

However, the psychic type felt a blow to his gut. In his confusion, Mewtwo lost his focus and was hit by the remainder of the flamethrower. Looking down, he saw Magmar's head, firmly planted against his stomach.

Blaine smirked as he removed his glasses to look at Mewtwo. "See, our bond is so strong, we know what the other is thinking. Now, fire punch!"

Magmar's fist was engulfed in flames as he went to try and hit Mewtwo right in the face. However, the psychic type caught the attack in his hand.

"Your bond is worthless here. No matter how close you two are you're still no match for me," he stated before tossing Magmar onto the ground.

The fire type landed right on his back, crying out in pain. But, to everyone's surprise, so did Blaine. The gym leader reached for his back as Magmar slowly got off the ground. "W-what did you do?"

Mewtwo smirked at the older man. "You were saying how close your bond was, I just wanted to test it out." Mewtwo then launched off a swift attack, each star colliding right into Magmar.

Both Blaine and Magmar cried out in pain as Blaine reached for each part of his body that was in the same location as where Magmar was hit. "I don't know what trick you're doing, but we won't let you win. Magmar, Flamethrower!"

Mewtwo this time had his eyes glow blue right as Magmar was about to attack. The stream of fire was lunched like usual, but after a few feet it stopped moving. "Continuing to resist me is futile," Mewtwo told the group before the flamethrower hit Magmar. Blaine dropped down onto one knee as he felt his entire body weaken. "The longer we battle, the weaker you will become. Using my psychic abilities, I made it so that every time Magmar was hurt you would feel the pain as well."

Blaine pushed himself up off of the ground and looked at Magmar. "Don't worry about me, Magmar. We need to continue fighting, the fate of the world rests in our hands."

"Why continue?" Mewtwo asked as he looked at the tiring man. "You know so yourself that you stand no chance against me." Mewtwo then lifted up his hand as another wave of stars shot out of thin air.

Each star collided with the fire type's body as Blaine cried out in pain. Now barely standing, Blaine looked Mewtwo right into his eyes as he spoke. "As long as Magmar and I can fight, we will not allow you to destroy our world! Magmar, fire punch!"

Magmar nodded in agreement with his trainer. Despite living inside of a volcano all of its life, the spit fire pokemon wouldn't allow Mewtwo to destroy the world he loved. This time, both of Magmar's fists were covered in fire as he swung at the psychic type.

Mewtwo ducked under the first punch before catching the second attempt in his hand. "You two are too blind to realize just how overpowered you really are. You are nothing more than ants when compared to me."

"Well, even ants are powerful when working together!" Blaine shouted as Magmar delivered a third unexpected punch right into Mewtwo's face.

Mewtwo merely shrugged off the hit as he grabbed Magmar's second hand as well. "I will crush you all and rid this world of your corruption," he stated before tightening his grip, causing Magmar to cry out in pain.

"Me-Mewtwo, I had hopes for you during your creation," Blaine stated as his breathing became heavy. "I had hopes that if the process was successful, we could create both new species of pokemon and help repopulate areas that have seen a decrease in pokemon. I never once thought you would be used as a tool of destruction, I'm sorry," Blaine told the creature as tears started to form in his eyes.

Mewtwo was shocked to see someone crying over him. _"It is nothing more than a trick. Those tears are from the pain he is in."_ Mewtwo told himself as he tossed Magmar across the room. "It is too late for forgiveness."

"Blaine, just give up!" Nick yelled as he ran forward to help Blaine. But, before he could reach the scientist, he was blown back by a powerful force.

"No one shall interfere with the battles," Mewtwo coldly stated as he lifted Magmar up with his psychic powers. "This match is just about over anyways."

* * *

"W-what's Grandpa doing?" Kegan asked from his hiding spot. "He's supposed to be beating this thing for me, not getting beaten by it."

"Magby, mag. Magby, mag!" The live coal pokemon stated, realizing the danger they were in. He was trying to convince Kegan to stay quiet and hidden from Mewtwo.

"You're right, Magby," Kegan began to say, getting a smile out of his pokemon. "We don't need Grandpa to weaken him, we're strong enough."

"Magbyyyy!" The fire type cried out before crying from the thoughts of fighting Mewtwo.

* * *

"M-Mewtwo, think of all the good we could do together. Let me show you just how good humans can be," Blaine muttered as he sat on his knees, too weak to stand by this point.

"Enough talking," Mewtwo told the gym leader as Magmar continued to float in the air. "If you couldn't tell by now, I was merely toying around. If I used my whole strength, your pokemon would have lost right away. But, I've grown tired of this," he explained, dropping the fire type into the pool of water.

"M-Magmar!" Blaine yelled out in pain before collapsing on the floor. Looking over at the pool, Magmar had resurfaced and had fainted.

"Blaine, Blaine! Wake up, Blaine!" Nick yelled as he shook the elder man. "You can't go out like this!"

"Nick, let me take a look," Brock stated as he walked over to the unconscious man. Placing a finger on his wrist, Brock felt for a pulse first before listening for any breathing. After a few seconds, the pokemon breeder lifted his head. "He's alive, but barely. The amount of pain he suffered must have sent his body into shock. Nick, help me bring him into the other room. Nurse Joy, you come as well."

"Right," the two replied as they slowly moved Blaine out of the room.

"Nick, Nurse Joy and myself will take care of Blaine," Brock stated as he pulled a cloth out of his bag and wet it. "You just help the others over there."

"Please, be careful," Nurse Joy added as Nick ran off to the other room.

"Ready, Magby?" Kegan asked as he crawled from under the table. "Let's go catch us that cat!"

"Magby, mag!" Magby cried out as he pulled on Kegan's shirt, only to be dragged with the boy.

"Who shall be next?" Mewtwo calmly stated as he waited for the next challenger to step forward. "Unless you've realized just how useless it is to resist my power."

"Magby, use ember!" A young child's voice said, ringing through the stadium.

A few stray embers connected with Mewtwo's face, angering the psychic type. "Who dares to oppose me?"

"The great Kegan!" Kegan shouted as he jumped from the stands. While in the air, Kegan performed a front flip and landed on the ground. Once on the ground, Kegan crossed his arms over his chest and looked at the group. "What do you guys think of my entrance?"

"What are you doing!?" Nick yelled, obviously worried for the boy's sake. "You should have stayed hidden. At least that way you'll be safe!"

"I'm not afraid of an overgrown cat," Kegan stated as he balled his fists. "I'll beat him like it's nothing and then I'm going to catch that pokemon!"

"You insolent fool," Mewtwo stated as his eyes glowed blue. In one swift movement, Magby was lifted off of the ground and tossed into the wall. "Your pokemon has already been defeated."

"M-Magby! What did you do to him?" Kegan asked as he looked at the fainted pokemon. "You had to have cheated, Magby is the strongest pokemon ever! I'll make you pay for cheating!" Kegan yelled while charging at the pokemon.

"Kegan, stop it!" Nick yelled as he tried to grab the boy, only to miss him.

Mewtwo raised his hand as a blue aura surrounded Kegan and lifted him off of the ground. "How did you get here?" Mewtwo asked the struggling child. "I didn't invite you."

* * *

 **Part 1 of the First movie mini arc is finished and things don't look too good for the trainers gathered. Following his loss to Mewtwo, Blaine is unconscious and now Kegan is being held by Mewtwo. I hope you all enjoyed the chapter and how Blaine was written. I was trying to go with him regretting what happened to Mewtwo and trying to help him out.**

 **Thank you for reading this story and the support. Please leave a review letting me know what you enjoyed and how I could improve.**

 **Team:**

 **Nick- 9 badges:**

 **Eevee- swift, quick attack, dig, shadow ball**

 **Kingler- water gun, crabhammer, stomp, mud shot**

 **Charizard- flamethrower, air slash, dragon tail, brick break**

 **Pidgeotto – tackle, quick attack, sand-attack, gust**

 **Hitmonchan- mach punch, agility, comet punch, thunder punch**

 **Dragonair- Twister, Ice beam, Dragon Tail, Shock Wave**

 **At Oak's:**

 **Beedrill- poison sting, fury attack, twinneedle, hyper beam**

 **Shellder**

 **Gastly- night shade, venoshock, hypnosis, dark pulse**

* * *

 **Samurai- league exam badge:**

 **Pinsir- x-scissor, earthquake, harden, revenge**

 **Venonat- supersonic, poison fang, confusion, signal beam**

 **Parasect- energy ball, stun spore, fury cutter, slash**

 **Sandshrew- Rollout, mud-slap, dig, scratch**

 **Golduck- Fury Swipes, Water Pulse, Screech**

 **At home:**

 **Butterfree- aerial ace, sleep powder**

* * *

 **Janine- league exam badge:**

 **Venonat- psybeam, foresight,**

 **Golbat- wing attack, hypnosis, venoshock, shadow ball**

 **Grimer- flamethrower, poison jab, minimize, mud-slap**

 **Vulpix- ember, flame charge, attract, energy ball**


	49. Battle of the Armies

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Pokemon.**

* * *

"Who shall be next?" Mewtwo calmly stated as he waited for the next challenger to step forward. "Unless you've realized just how useless it is to resist my power."

"Magby, use ember!" A young child's voice said, ringing through the stadium.

A few stray embers connected with Mewtwo's face, angering the psychic type. "Who dares to oppose me?"

"The great Kegan!" Kegan shouted as he jumped from the stands. While in the air, Kegan performed a front flip and landed on the ground. Once on the ground, Kegan crossed his arms over his chest and looked at the group. "What do you guys think of my entrance?"

"What are you doing!?" Nick yelled, obviously worried for the boy's sake. "You should have stayed hidden. At least that way you'll be safe!"

"I'm not afraid of an overgrown cat," Kegan stated as he balled his fists. "I'll beat him like it's nothing and then I'm going to catch that pokemon!"

"You insolent fool," Mewtwo stated as his eyes glowed blue. In one swift movement, Magby was lifted off of the ground and tossed into the wall. "Your pokemon has already been defeated."

"M-Magby! What did you do to him?" Kegan asked as he looked at the fainted pokemon. "You had to have cheated, Magby is the strongest pokemon ever! I'll make you pay for cheating!" Kegan yelled while charging at the pokemon.

"Kegan, stop it!" Nick yelled as he tried to grab the boy, only to miss him.

Mewtwo raised his hand as a blue aura surrounded Kegan and lifted him off of the ground. "How did you get here?" Mewtwo asked the struggling child. "I didn't invite you."

Kegan struggled against the power of the psychic attack. The young boy flailed his feet around, hoping to kick the psychic type. "L-let... me... g-go..." He weakly stated as he felt the pressure increase.

"You didn't answer my question," Mewtwo told the boy as he increased the pressure even more, making it nearly impossible for Kegan to move or breath. "How did you get here!?"

Nick watched as Kegan stopped flailing around and instead reached for his neck, trying to pull the force away from his neck. Both of them knew it was pointless as there wasn't anything actually pressed against his throat, just Mewtwo using his psychic attack.

"I brought him!" Nick yelled as he caught Mewtwo's attention. "He came along with me as a guest!"

Mewtwo narrowed his sight onto Nick. With a quick flick of his free hand, Nick was pushed backwards by the powerful psychic energy. "I thought the old man was your guest, so, which one is it?"

"They're both my guests!" Nick responded as he planted his feet into the ground. "Let him go now, he's just a kid!"

Mewtwo just stared at the boy. "Hmph, humans can't even follow rules. It just shows you how they put their needs and thoughts before others." Nick was then pushed back even further, into the other room, only being kept up off of the ground thanks to his pokemon catching him.

Nick grit his teeth as he stared at Mewtwo. "I only brought him in because of your storm! It was too dangerous to leave him outside in this weather!"

"That is not of my concern," Mewtwo told Nick as he looked at the group. "Now, who wishes to battle me next?"

Nick clenched his fists as he grabbed his backpack and ran into the other room followed by all of his pokemon except for a sleeping Dragonair. "Hitmonchan, mach punch! Pidgeotto, quick attack!"

Both pokemon raced off with a burst of speed. White trails flowed behind them, indicating just how fast they truly were moving at. Mewtwo didn't have any time to react as he felt Hitmonchan's fist connect with his face, pushing it backwards a few inches.

The psychic type didn't seem to be in any pain however as he moved his head forward, locking his eyes with Hitmonchan's. Mewtwo opened his mouth as if to say something, only to be pushed backwards a few inches by the addition of Pidgeotto.

" _That look in their eyes, it's just like the one in their trainer's eyes. Why do they fight for him?"_ Mewtwo thought to himself as it caused a slight slip in his concentration. Without realizing it, his grasp on Kegan slipped and allowed the boy to escape his grasp.

"That's it! Hit him with everything you got!" Nick yelled out, as it seemed that his words only gave them more energy. _"Just hold on long enough for Kegan to get out of there!"_ Nick mentally told his pokemon as he watched the young boy gasp for air while on the ground.

" _Where does this strength come from? Even though they are no match for me, they continue to fight."_ Mewtwo continued to think before realizing that he was losing his footing. "Enough!" He yelled out as a blast of psychic energy blew the two pokemon into the walls of his building. Little did Mewtwo realize that Nick's remaining pokemon had moved into new locations to continue attacking.

"Charizard, flamethrower! Kingler use water gun!" Nick called out as both pokemon revealed themselves to be standing on both sides of Mewtwo.

Both of them released their attacks. One a stream of fire and the other a stream of water. The two attacks collided with the psychic type, creating a cyclone of fire and water around Mewtwo.

Mewtwo watched from the inside of the cyclone as the two attacks swirled around his body. "These fools, believing that they actually have a chance," Mewtwo said while sighing. Once again, he lifted his hands up as he pushed the cyclone back into its original two streams.

"Quick, get out of there!" Nick called out once he saw what was about to happen.

There was no time to move however. Both of Nick's pokemon were struck directly as they tried to dodge their own attacks. Thanks to the increase in power due to Mewtwo's psychic attack, both pokemon were defeated upon impact.

"All I need is a few more seconds," Nick muttered to himself as he watched Kegan start to get back onto his feet. Thinking fast, he opened up his bag and found Eevee inside curled up into a ball.

"Vee?" It asked as he peeked outside of the bag. Since first feeling Mewtwo's presence, Eevee had acted differently. Immediately he had hid inside of Nick's backpack and stayed there since.

"Eevee, I know this guy isn't like anything we've ever faced before, he just took every attack like it was nothing, but I need your help right now," Nick stated as he pulled the normal type out of his backpack. "If we don't do something, who knows what will happen to Kegan."

Eevee looked over at the field where Mewtwo was standing and saw Kegan on the ground, stumbling onto his feet. Seeing the innocent boy in danger, Eevee shook any fear he had out of his body and jumped out of Nick's hands.

"Eevee, vee!" It cried out before looking at Nick.

"Great, we only have one shot at this," Nick stated as he looked over at Mewtwo. "Okay, Eevee, put everything you've got into a shadow ball!"

Eevee opened his mouth as he fired off the sphere of ghostly energy. Hoping to catch Mewtwo off guard, Eevee fired off the attack while the psychic type was looking at the ground.

The shadow ball shot across the field and looked like it was going to be a direct hit. However, at the last second, Mewtwo caught the attack with his bare hand and crushed the ball. The ghostly energy dispersed in several directions before finally dying.

"You call that your best effort?" Mewtwo asked as he lifted his head, only to see a second shadow ball heading his way. Moving quickly, the psychic type knocked the attack away only to be met with two more.

" _Just hang in there a few more seconds, Eevee,"_ Nick mentally asked his partner as he watched Kegan start to walk away from the field. The boy was now only a few steps away from Magby when Nick heard Mewtwo speak.

"Enough!" He cried out before crushing one more shadow ball. "You dare continue to oppose me?" He asked Eevee only to be met with another shadow ball. "Very well, then your fate is sealed," he stated coldly as he raised his hand.

In the palm of Mewtwo's hand, a large black sphere started to form. To Nick, it seemed just like Eevee's shadow ball from earlier, but also different at the same time. Unlike Eevee's attack, Mewtwo's sphere seemed to have blue sparks of electricity running around the outside of it.

Mewtwo threw the attack forward as he aimed right for Eevee. Nick looked over as he saw Eevee start to shake. Knowing exactly what was going through Eevee's head due to his own experience from Magmar and ran over to the normal type.

Moving quickly, Nick picked Eevee up in his arms before turning away from the attack. Unknown to Nick, however, was the immense strength of Mewtwo's blast. The shadow ball connected with Nick's back, but didn't explode on contact. Instead, the sphere continued to push Nick until he felt his whole body lift off of the ground. Forcing himself to look down, Nick noticed that the shadow ball was now traveling upwards and out of the stadium roof.

" _That human took the hit,"_ Mewtwo thought as he watched the boy disappear from his sight. _"That fool, why would he throw his life away for someone else?"_ He thought before facing the group that remained before him.

"There was no need to do that!" Ash yelled as he lost sight of the attack. "He never tried to hurt you, Nick was trying to protect that boy!"

"I had no intention of attacking the boy," Mewtwo stated as he stood there emotionlessly. "It was his own fault for stepping into the battle. If he had let the attack hit, he'd be with all of you right now," he stated before smirking. "Of course, soon it won't even matter."

"Bruteroot and I won't let you hurt anyone else," Corey told the psychic type as he stared him down.

"And we'll blow away that Blastoise, won't we Shellshocker!?" Neesha added in as her Blastoise walked forward

"He may not have a nickname, but I still have... Charizard!" Ash stated hesitantly, almost as if he was nervous about something. "Charizard, I choose you!" He stated before tossing out a pokeball.

The fire lizard emerged from the device and immediately shot out a small flame. The fire type believed that this whole thing was a waste of time. Turning his attention to Mewtwo, Charizard fired off a flamethrower right at the psychic type.

Mewtwo raised his hand with ease right as the attack was about to hit. Just like all of the other pokemon from before, Mewtwo blocked the attack with ease.

Ash moved back a little once he saw how Charizard reacted. "Charizard, I never told you to start," he muttered as the fire type continued his attack.

Mewtwo quickly extinguished the flames as he used his psychic powers to transport some water from the pool. Dropping the liquid onto the fire and causing it to turn into steam. "Your Charizard is poorly trained," the psychic type stated as he looked at the fire type.

"I underestimated you last time, but that won't happen again!" Corey shouted from across the field, his Venusaur walking out onto the field.

Mewtwo merely looked at his Venusaur as the grass type knew exactly what his master wanted. Moving slowly, the cloned starter moved onto the field.

"We'll start things off," Corey told Mewtwo before pointing at the cloned Venusaur. "Go, Bruteroot, use razor leaf!"

"Saur!" The grass type cried out before a swarm of sharp leaves flew from its back. The leaves spun as they approached the clone, making the edges even more dangerous.

"Vine whip," Mewtwo countered, sounding as if he was bored.

The clone immediately shot two vines from the plant on its back and went to work. The vines managed to shred each and every blade from the razor leaf and turn it into confetti. The attack didn't stop there however, the vines continued to move as they shot right at Bruteroot.

Sweating, Corey looked on as the vines managed to stop every blade from the attack. "Grr, Bruteroot, counter with your own vine whip!"

Bruteroot nodded in agreement as vines started to protrude from his own plant. However, before they could be launched, Bruteroot felt something wrap around his body. Looking around, he noticed that the clone had already wrapped its vines around his body.

The cloned Venusaur then lifted Bruteroot into the air before tossing him across the field. The throw was so strong that Bruteroot was now in the dining hall again, the floor all torn up due to him skidding upon impact with the ground.

"Bruteroot!" Corey cried out as he raced over to his pokemon. Kneeling down next to the defeated grass type, Corey helped his starter as much as he could. "Take it easy, you gave it your best shot," he told the grass type once he saw it wince in pain.

"Saur!" It cried out, wanting to continue the battle against his clone. The grass type tried to stand up, only to collapse from pain.

"Just rest now," He told his pokemon before rubbing its back. "You battled hard, we were just caught off guard by the speed of that vine whip."

"Well, it looks like I'm up. Go, Shellshocker!" Neesha ordered as the turtle walked onto the field.

This time, Mewtwo didn't even look at his three pokemon this time. Instead, he just pointed towards the field, his Blastoise already knowing it was his turn.

"We won't hold back!" Neesha stated as she griped the necklace around her neck. "I won't let you destroy this world! Shellshocker, hydro pump!

Without even issuing a command, the cloned Blastoise responded to the attack. Tucking all of its appendages into its shell, the clone started to spin at an alarming rate. Upon impact with the hydro pump, the now spinning Blastoise managed to slide right through it before heading for Shellshocker.

"Quick, meet it half way with your own rapid spin!" Neesha commanded, facing an open palm at the field.

Shellshocker tucked himself into its shell as he started to spin right for the clone Blastoise. The two water types met head on as their two spinning shells collided. What at first seemed to be an equally matched showing of strength quickly changed. Shellshocker was easily overpowered by his clone, having his whole body pushed backwards until he was flung right into the side of the stadium.

"Shellshocker!" Neesha cried out as she ran over to her injured pokemon. "Please say something to me!"

"You better forfeit, Ash, those clones are too powerful!" Misty stated, worried about Charizard sustaining any injuries like the other two did.

"I'm not giving up," Ash replied as he looked over at Mewtwo. "Not as long as he plans on wiping out all of the pokemon and people on Earth. Besides, I'm the only one left."

Once more, Mewtwo pointed out towards the field as his third and final starter ran onto it. Once on the field, Charizard stretched his wings and fired a small blast of flames into the sky.

Seeing this display annoyed Charizard, only he could act that way. The fire type quickly ran onto the field, ready to show up his clone. As he passed his trainer, Charizard could hear him saying something.

"Just remember," Ash started to say to his fire type. "Use your speed, not power and you'll win. Those other clones moved too fast for Venusaur and Blastoise to even react," Ash explained as Charizard roared. "Alright, go!" He cried out, pointing towards the field. "And please, listen to me..." he muttered to himself.

Taking off into the sky, Charizard fired off a flamethrower attack while he had the height advantage. The cloned Charizard wasn't going to sit back however and flew up after him, dodging the stream of fire.

Once both pokemon were in the sky, Charizard continued to fire off one flamethrower after another. However, the clone proved to be more than capable at dodging, managing to avoid every single blast.

Moving swiftly, the cloned Charizard flew right into Ash's Charizard, punching him square in the back before dodging a flamethrower at point blank.

Ash was watching from down on the ground and he didn't like what he saw. "Charizard, you have to mix it up a little!" Ash called out, hoping that the fire type would listen to him. "Your flamethrower isn't working, try something else!"

Charizard however had no time to react as he was met with a headbutt to the gut, temporarily winding him before he recovered. Charizard then swung his tail as his clone, only to have his cloned version dodge with ease. Seeing this, Charizard lunged at his clone, only to miss again.

"Can't Charizard move any quicker?" Misty watched as the fire type was just being toyed with.

"Ash you have to be careful," Brock stated as he watched from the other room. "That clone is too fast."

"Pika..." Pikachu muttered, agreeing with both of Ash's friends.

Charizard continued on with his losing effort, firing off a barrage of flamethrowers only to have every one of them miss. Trying to get the height advantage, both Charizards flew higher into the sky until they were both miles above the castle.

"Charizard!" Ash called out as he watched the two fire types fly out of his view. "I can't see him anymore, they've flown too high."

Charizard stared at his counterpart as they were both flying in front of the moon now. Thinking quickly, Charizard fired off another flamethrower, only to miss again.

The clone was now starting to have enough of this fight as he charged at Charizard and struck him right in the chest. After hitting Charizard, the clone circled around before striking the flame pokemon once more.

This last hit was different however, the clone managed to grab ahold of Charizard and placed him in a full nelson before flying back down towards the castle. Picking up speed with their descent, it seemed that the battle would be over shortly.

Ash could now make out the image of two Charizards now flying back down towards the ground, or one flying and the other squirming to get free. "Charizard, if you use flamethrower at this distance then he can't dodge it!"

"Don't underestimate my clones," Mewtwo told the boy as he too watched the descent.

Charizard decided to try Ash's idea and opened his mouth. In no time, the familiar stream of fire emerged from his mouth, but to his surprise, the clone dodged the blast.

"No way, he dodged it," Ash stated as he watched his pokemon continue to struggle before he got a worried expression. "Charizard's in trouble!"

"Finish it!" Mewtwo ordered as his cloned Charizard entered the stadium again.

As the two Charizards finished their descent, the clone let go of his full nelson before just pushing Charizard towards the ground with his hands. The fire type was shoved into the ground with tremendous force as a crater formed where the impact was.

To Mewtwo's surprise, Charizard stood back up as he climbed out of the crater. _"This pokemon, he just doesn't give up. Is this because of his trainer?"_ Mewtwo asked himself, only to see Charizard collapse from his fatigue.

"Oh, Charizard!" Ash cried out, wrapping his arms around the flame pokemon's head. "Please be okay, Charizard."

Mewtwo however didn't seem fazed by the trainers and their sincerity to their pokemon. "As the victor, I will not only destroy you all but I will also claim my prize," he stated as three spheres of purple energy formed around him.

He spheres immediately transformed into an object that looked just like a normal pokeball, but was completely black instead.

"We never agreed on any prize!" Ash called out, still looking over his Charizard. The fire type had been pretty banged up during the fight and had several marks to show it.

"Your pokemon are the prize," Mewtwo explained before the three black pokeballs soared right for the three defeated pokemon.

Ash had no time to react as the first dark ball hit his Charizard, absorbing it in a red light before he was pulled into the capture device. "Hey wait!" Ash yelled out as he tried to grab the ball.

The same outcome happened with the other two final evolved forms of the Kano starters. Both trainers tried to stop the process, but were unable to do anything before their pokemon disappeared.

Misty stepped forward s she held onto the strange looking creature from before. "What are you going to do with those pokemon!?" She asked as she was worried for their wellbeing.

Mewtwo looked on calmly, almost as if he was tired of the whole situation. "I will extract their DNA to create clones for myself. They will all be safe on this island as my storm destroys the whole planet," he explained while summoning a large amount of the dark balls.

"You can't do this!" Brock yelled, wishing there was something he could do but knew there wasn't.

"Yeah, Mewtwo," Ash added as he ran to the center of the field. "We won't let you get away with this!"

"Do not attempt to defy me!" The psychic type stated as his eyes glowed blue.

The same blue from Mewtwo's eyes quickly surrounded Ash before he was launched backwards, colliding into Brock, who had come outside not too long ago. Both of the trainers landed on the ground as they tried to recover.

"This is my world now," Mewtwo proudly stated as all of the dark balls flew in different directions.

Getting off of the ground, Ash and his friends quickly made a break for it. "Let's go!" Ash cried out as they ran back into the main room.

Looking behind them, Ash noticed that all five of Nick's pokemon had already been caught. None of them had even put up a fight having been too exhausted from stalling Mewtwo. Ash then looked forward as a swarm of the balls passed him. It seemed like for every one he knocked down, two more emerged.

One by one, each pokemon was quickly captured as the dark balls all swarmed at each pokemon.

"Gyarados!" Fergus cried out as his trusty partner was taken from him. "No, Golduck, Seadra! Give them back!" He cried out as each of his pokemon were quickly captured.

Corey's pokemon weren't doing well either. "Guys, just stay together and watch each other's backs!" Corey told them as they formed a circle. However, Sandslash, Scyther and Hitmonlee were quickly caught by the balls.

"Grr, g-get away!" Corey yelled as he swatted at the pokeballs, only to have his two remaining pokemon caught as well. "Guys!"

Neesha watched as her pokemon were also swarmed with the dark balls. Standing next to her Rapidash and Vileplume, the young girl swatted as many away as she could, but was no help as they were all caught.

Elsewhere, Bulbasaur and Squirtle were fighting back. Using their vine whip and water gun respectively, Ash's other two starter pokemon were repelling the oncoming balls.

Slowly, the columns in the room started to rise off of the ground as all of the balls containing pokemon headed right for them. Underneath them was a tunnel that led to somewhere underground.

* * *

"M-Magby, I think this would be a good time to run," Kegan said to his partner, scared out of his mind due to Mewtwo attacking him and now all of the chaos going on.

"Magby, mag!" The fire type stated as he blew a few balls away. He knew this was a bad idea all along and tried to convince Kegan, but it didn't work out.

Kegan then saw one ball emerge from behind the fire type and tried to stop it in time. "Watch out, Magby!" He cried, only to miss the ball and see the live coal pokemon be caught.

The dark ball then flew off, joining all of the others that already had caught pokemon.

"Hey!" Kegan yelled as he chased after the ball. "Give me Magby back! Give him now!" He cried, only to fall down the hole while not paying attention.

* * *

Ash ran through the swarm of dark pokeballs, trying to think of a way to protect his pokemon. Looking at the scene before him, he frowned at the situation before a thought came to him. "Hey, I know," he started to say before reaching for his pokeballs. "Mewtwo can't capture them if they're already inside their pokeballs. Bulbasaur, Squirtle, return!" He cried out as his two pokemon were recalled into their devices.

"Don't bother, it is no use to try and stall," Mewtwo stated as he watched Ash's attempt to protect his pokemon.

Ash had a look of joy on his face as he thought he bested Mewtwo. That look of joy soon to shock and surprise as the dark balls quickly captured the pokeballs in his hands. "What?" He stated as he tried to grab the dark balls, only to miss.

"I told you it was futile to try and escape my power," Mewtwo continued as he stood there with the same expression.

"Never mind the pokeballs, just carry them away!" Brock cried out as he picked up his Vulpix. Misty, Nurse Joy and himself started to run away only to be followed by the dark balls.

"Ahhh!" Misty cried out as she saw her Psyduck be captured. "Give me back my Psyduck!" She then quickly opened her backpack and placed the strange pokemon from before inside of it. "You'll be safe in here, Togepi."

Brock, in his shock, didn't pay attention as a dark ball snuck up on him as well. "Ahh, Vulpix!" He cried out as the fire type was caught as well.

* * *

"Pika pika pi," Pikachu panted as he ran away from all of the dark balls. "Pika pi," he stated before jumping up onto the table. The electric type then saw a whole swarm of the devices coming right at him, one was about to hit him when an arm blocked it.

"Don't worry, Pikachu, I won't let him take you," Ash stated before noticing another wave of the balls coming straight for his pokemon. "Ahh," he muttered out of shock before blocking Pikachu.

"Pika!" The electric mouse cried out in concern as he watched Ash take every hit.

"R-run, Pikachu!" Ash yelled as he continued to block the dark balls. Pikachu did as he was told, breaking into a sprint to try and escape.

Pikachu started to zigzag his way around the room, dodging each set of balls that came his way, only to have another set coming from another direction. Eventually, the electric type found his way to the center of the room and the staircase that vacated the area.

"Pi, pi, pi," he muttered as a wave of the capture devices surrounded him before all rushing at him. With a perfectly timed jump, Pikachu managed to dodge all of the balls before running up the staircase.

"Pikachu!" Ash called out as he tried to catch up to his best friend. Just then, all of the devices swarmed towards Pikachu, the electric type being the last pokemon left.

"Pika, Chu!" The electric mouse screamed as he unleashed a thunderbolt attack on the dark balls. The twenty or so devices were hit by the electrical shocks and fell back towards the ground. "Pika, pi," he muttered as he tried to catch his breath, only to see another wave coming for him.

Pikachu continued his escape, running up the staircase and stopping every few seconds to release another thunderbolt on the capture devices. Despite his best try, Pikachu was unable to get away, always being followed by the devices no matter how many he destroyed.

Seeing this, Ash picked up his own pace as he continued to ascend the staircase. "Keep running Pikachu!" He yelled out as he pushed through his own exhaustion.

"Pi, pika, pika," Pikachu continued to pant as he dodged each ball that shot towards him.

"Hold on just a little longer, I'm almost there!" Ash cried out, only to slip on the staircase and start to fall. Sliding down the staircase, Ash found himself now hanging over the edge. Using every ounce of strength he had left, Ash pulled himself up before running to his best friend again.

"Chuuu!" Pikachu cried out once more, launching his largest electric shock out. The blast managed to knock all of the devices down, allowing the electric type time to rest. He would need it too, as right after the attack, Pikachu drooped to ground panting heavily. Sweat ran down the sides of his face as he tried to catch his breath.

The rest wasn't long however as two more devices showed up and lunged at Pikachu. Rolling to his left, the electric mouse dodged them, bust accidently rolled over the edge.

"Pika!" He screamed out as he started to fall towards the pool located in the room. Right as he fell, even more dark balls followed him over the ledge.

"Pikachu!" Ash cried out before jumping after him. Both figures were now descending towards the ground as a swarm of the devices followed them. "Hang on, I'll catch you!" He cried out, extending his arms to try and catch Pikachu, only to be robbed when a dark ball hit the pokemon first.

"Pika!" The electric type cried out as he was sucked into the device.

Lunging out fast, Ash grabbed a hold of the ball containing Pikachu and braced himself for the rest of the fall. Crashing face first into the pool of water, Ash lost his grip on the ball as it floated up towards the surface. Moving quickly, Ash followed it through the water before both of them were back above the water.

Ash jumped out of the pool as he followed the device right to the column and dove for the ball, sliding right into the hole after it. "You're not going to get Pikachu!" He screamed out, his voice echoing through the tunnel.

* * *

Elsewhere, Nick and Eevee continued their ride on Mewtwo's shadow ball as they were now over the ocean. "Well, Eevee, I guess this is it," Nick muttered as he tightened his grip on the normal type.

"Vee?" Eevee asked, wondering why Nick was so quick to give up hope. The normal type could still see the castle from where they were currently.

"I know, this isn't like me is it," Nick said, knowing exactly what Eevee was thinking. "But, put it this way, the shadow ball is starting to disintegrate. Sooner or later we'll start our descent into the water."

Eevee looked down towards the ocean and noticed what Nick meant by it. The sea was filled with gigantic waves that were as tall as buildings. There was no way they could swim with waves like that. Not only that, but the sky was even darker than before, only lighting up when flashes of lightning appeared. The wind also picked up, the gusts becoming so strong that it actually moved the shadow ball a little.

"But, even if this is the end, I just want to say thanks," Nick said as he made Eevee face him.

"Eevee?" The evolution pokemon replied, tilting his head to the side.

"Yeah, you heard right," Nick replied as he smiled. "I wanted to thank you. Without you, I couldn't, no, we couldn't have accomplished everything we have so far. We're a team, none of this would even be possible without you."

"Eevee, vee," the normal type responded before licking Nick's cheek.

"I'm serious, on the day we met, if you didn't want to travel with me then I would have needed to wait another month to begin my journey," Nick began as he noticed the attack start to shrink away. "We never would have met everyone else and then who knows if I even would have won eight badges. So, thank you Eevee," he stated as the shadow ball finally disappeared.

"Vee!" Eevee cried out in shock as the duo started to drop towards the ocean.

"D-don't worry, Eevee," Nick said as he pulled the normal type closer to his body, covering his eyes so he wouldn't see the fall. "I'll make sure nothing happens to you."

Off in the distance, the same creature from before the duo falling towards the ocean and flew over to them. "Mew?" It asked itself before recognizing Nick as one of the people in the toy boat. "Mew, mew, mew!" It happily cried out, believing that it had a new toy to play with.

As Mew flew closer, it noticed the looks of fear on their faces and decided now wasn't the best time to play around. "Mew, mew," it muttered before all three of their bodies glowed white and vanished.

"Don't worry Eevee, it's almost over!" Nick yelled out, only to feel himself land on concrete. "Huh, where are we?" He asked himself, only to see Mewtwo's castle again.

"Vee, Eevee!" The normal type cried out as he ran back through the front doors.

"Eevee, hold on!" Nick cried out, following his partner. _"How'd we end up here?"_ He thought to himself before smiling. "Doesn't matter. Whoever saved us, thank you!" He cried out, the front doors slamming behind him.

"Mew, mew!" The psychic type cried out in joy before doing a somersault in midair. It was happy for doing a good deed, but now it had to go back to where it was previously. In a flash of white light, Mew was now in the air above the stadium. It watched as Mewtwo had all of the remaining dark balls disappear.

* * *

"W-what's that machine doing to my Magby?" Kegan asked two figures, one male and one female.

The male was dressed in a white Team Rocket uniform with a black undershirt along with a purple belt, black gloves and black boots. He had violet colored hair that was parted down the middle with the exception of a single bang.

The woman had the exact same uniform, but instead of pants she instead had a skirt on. Her shirt was also a little smaller as you could see a little of her waist. Her hair was crimson however, and shot backwards and curved downwards until it passed her waist.

With them was a Meowth who had a piece of his fur already put in there. "It seems to be making copies of the pokemon," Meowth stated as he looked at the clone of himself that was in a tube.

"C-copies!?" Kegan asked as he didn't seemed shocked at all by the talking Meowth. They then all looked at a strange machine as they heard it starting up again. It almost looked like an Omastar that lacked a mouth and eyes. Also, the tentacles were all in front of the shell instead of to the sides.

"I don't know, but look, it's starting up again," Jessie stated as pictures of pokemon filled the screen again.

"Look, there goes an Alakazam," the duo stated, only for the silhouette to actually be of a Scyther. "Now a Dewgong. And Vileplume," they stated, getting them correctly.

"Just as I thought," Meowth said as he looked at the tubes attached to the machine. One by one they were being filled by the same pokemon that appeared on the screen. "This machine is making copies of the pokemon."

"B-but, where's the originals?" Kegan asked as he didn't see Magby anywhere.

"Beats, me," Meowth replied as he looked back towards the monitor before a grunt was heard coming from down the belt.

"Huh, what was that?" James asked as they looked down the tunnel.

Appearing before them was Ash, who was holding his head in pain as he was riding the belt. "Aughhh," he muttered to himself.

"Look there, it's the twerp!" Jessie cried out just as Ash stood up.

Gaining his balance on the moving belt, Ash broke into a sprint as he raced for the ball containing Pikachu. "I don't have time for your dumb motto today," he told them before diving into the machine.

As he dove, Ash saw the one device he wanted. He quickly grabbed onto it just as multiple mechanical arms also reached for it. Using all of his strength he tried to fight back the machine, only to be slowly pulled in with Pikachu.

"Who's that pokemon?" Jessie and James simultaneously asked before the silhouette became a Pikachu. "It's Pikachu!"

"Let go of Pikachu you stupid machine!" Ash cried out as even more mechanical arms joined in on the tug of war game. Due to their programming, the machine also mistook Ash for a pokemon, grabbing a hold of him as well. Finally having enough of the situation, Ash pulled on the dark ball with all of his might, breaking some of the arms. "Give me back my Pikachu!"

The arms started to lift him up as they extracted the DNA of Pikachu from the device. Running out of ideas, Ash started to yank and bite at the arms until he was back on the ground.

On the outside, Team Rocket and Kegan watched as the machine started to malfunction. Sparks started to fly off of the machine and even the monitor shut down. "What's happening!?" Meowth asked as he watched the meltdown.

Ash continued to force his way out of the machine, running with all his might against both the moving belt and the arms trying to constrain him. "Arghhh!" He cried out as he forced his muscles to move him forward. Finally, with one last push, Ash managed to break free as he fell forward.

Once free, the device opened up and released Pikachu from its hold. "Pikachu!" Ash cried out with joy as the electric mouse ran to his trainer and embraced him. "I'm so glad you're okay," Ash told his best friend, unaware of the malfunctioning machine behind him.

"Look, the copies are hatching!" Jessie stated as all of the pokemon held within the tubes were released.

One by one, each of the clones made their way towards the exit as they left their containment tubes. "They're fabulous fakes," James added in as the last of them left were released.

"But, where are the real ones?" Ash asked as he looked back at the machine.

"Yeah, I want my Magby!" Kegan screamed as he kicked the sparking machine. "Give him back!"

"I wonder if they ever feel-" James started to say only to be cut off by Meowth.

"Clonesome," the cat scratch pokemon stated, making a poorly timed pun.

"Woah!" Kegan yelled as he jumped backward from some sparks. "That was close," he muttered right as the machine exploded before his eyes. "And that was lucky."

Following the explosion, all of the dark balls flew out of the machine, having been stored in it. Upon contact with the ground, all of the devices opened up, releasing the captured pokemon.

"I-it's the pokeoriginals," Jessie said, this time being the pun maker.

Two more devices crashed onto the ground, but out of them came two pokeballs. Both of the pokeballs opened up on their own, revealing Squirtle and Bulbasaur.

"Squirtle," the water type said before jumping into Ash's arms.

"Squirtle you're back!" Ash cried out as Bulbasaur started to come through as well.

"Bulba..." It muttered, a little sleepy after the whole ordeal. Ash, Squirtle and Pikachu called out to the grass type, snapping him out of his trance. "Saur?" It asked before running to its trainer. "Bulbasaur!"

"You're all okay!" Ash cried out as he embraced all three of his pokemon. His look of joy soon changed to a serious one once he remembered about Mewtwo. "It's time to end this."

* * *

Standing in the middle of the stadium, Mewtwo had forced everyone who remained up against the bleachers with the help of his three cloned starters. "Humans, you have served your purpose. For that, I am sparing your lives, behold," he told them as the locked doors opened up, revealing the storm that was taking place away from the island. "However, you cannot escape your fate. The hour of my vengeance draws near."

Blaine, having woken up since everything went down, walked forward as he tried to talk to his creation. "Mewtwo, it doesn't have to be like this, we can work together to create a better future," he tried to reason only for it to fall on deaf ears.

"Silence, I have heard that lie one too many times before," Mewtwo stated as a small explosion was heard in the background. "Perfect timing," he muttered as all of the clones entered the room. "Behold, with my clone balls I created the ultimate beings. With people and pokemon eliminated, clones will rule the world."

"You can't do this, I won't let you," A voice stated through the smoke cloud before revealing himself. The figure walked out of the smoke, showing that it was Ash along with all of the pokemon.

"I-it's Ash!" Misty cried out in joy.

"Alright, and he has all the pokemon!" Brock added in as every single pokemon walked in.

"Psyduck!" Misty cried out again

"And Vulpix!" Brock added as his fire type walked out of the smoke.

"It is useless to challenge me," Mewtwo spoke as he stared down those who opposed him.

"It's not going to end like this, we won't let it," Ash responded before turning his hat backwards. "You're mine," he stated, running right at Mewtwo. "Ahhh!" He yelled, about to throw a punch at the psychic type but was blown back by psychic energy. He quickly got back up onto his feet and charged again, but this time he was flung high up into the air.

Ash braced himself as he was about to crash into the stone structures in the building, but instead found himself landing on a soft bubble.

"What?" Mewtwo asked, unaware that Mew was at his castle this whole time. "Can it be?" He asked himself as he watched the psychic type play with Ash by popping the bubble he was on.

"Mew!" It cried out in joy as he created a new bubble to jump on. Just as the psychic type was starting to have fun, a shadow ball came crashing through the bubble and popped it. Looking down at the stadium, Mew noticed that another shadow ball was coming right at him and dodged it by teleporting out of the way.

Mewtwo continued to launch one shadow ball right after the other, but missed every time due to Mew teleporting. The new species pokemon reappeared in front of his clone, laughing at the fun time he just had.

"What is that?" Brock asked as he watched the psychic type fly down.

"I don't know, I've never seen it before," Misty replied as she watched the same creature.

"Mew, so we finally met," Mewtwo stated, distaste in every word he spoke,

"Mew," the psychic type responded playfully.

"Mew?" Fergus asked as he thought back. "As in the pokemon from myths said to have created every other pokemon on Earth?"

"What are you talking about Fergus?" Corey asked as the whole group looked at him.

"You heard me right. Growing up, my grandparents used to tell me myths about pokemon and how the world came to be. There were a few crazy ones, but the one I always remembered was about a creature known as Mew. It was stated that Mew is responsible for creating every single pokemon ever."

"You're right, Fergus," Blaine stated as he looked at the young man. "That is the mythical pokemon Mew. I know, I once searched for it."

"But, why is it here?" Neesha asked as she looked back to the two psychic types.

"It must not have taken a liking to Mewtwo creating the clones," Blaine stated before seeing Mew's childlike attitude. "Or it just stumbled here by pure luck."

Hearing his name called so many times, Mew looked in the direction of the few humans at the castle. "Mew?" It asked, unsure if he was being called for or if they were just talking about it.

"Look at me, Mew," Mewtwo demanded, managing to get the childlike psychic type to look. "I may have been cloned from your DNA, but now I will prove that Mewtwo is better than the original, superior to Mew," he stated as Mew performed all sorts of tricks while floating in the air.

"So, the ultimate creation-" Corey started to say, only to be cut off.

"Is a clone himself," Neesha finished for him as the whole group looked at the two psychic types.

Mewtwo started to lift off of the ground, his body glowing blue thanks to his psychic powers before fading away. Both pokemon flew high above the sky with Mewtwo chasing after Mew.

Ash watched from his seat on the statue what was supposed to be a battle, but what looked to be more like a game of tag. Mewtwo would continue to launch shadow balls, while Mew would dodge them and have Mewtwo continue to follow him around.

"Why do you flee?" Mewtwo asked as Mew hid behind a pole, thinking that they were playing hide-and-seek. "Are you afraid to see which of us is greater?"

Mew didn't respond, instead he flew off with Mewtwo following behind him. Mewtwo was starting to grow frustrated with their little game and attacked Mew while he was flying slowly. The shadow ball managed to hit Mew right in his face, sending the psychic type flying backwards and right into Mewtwo's castle and kicked up dirt.

Everyone looked on with shock, they couldn't believe that Mew was defeated in one hit. But, just as they thought it was over, out of the smoke came Mewtwo's original shadow ball but stronger. The blast struck Mewtwo and caused him to crash right into his bleachers.

"So, you do have some fight in you?" Mewtwo asked as he got up from the attack. Mew was also flying back down to the center of the stadium. "But I have no time for games, destiny is at hand. Who will rule, my super pokemon or your group of spineless inferior pokemon?"

"Mew," the psychic type responded, realizing that this wasn't a game anymore.

Mewtwo smirked at his adversary, "we were created with powers far stronger than the originals."

"Mew. Mew, mew, mew. Mew, mew. Mew" The psychic type stated as he flipped around in the air.

Elsewhere, Team Rocket and Kegan had finally made it above ground and witnessed what was going on.

"Hmm, Mew's got a good point," Meowth stated, getting confused looks from his two friends.

"What's it saying?" Jessie asked as she watched Mew.

"Mew says you don't prove anything by showing off a bunch of special powers and that a pokemon's real strength comes from the heart," Meowth explained to the group as they watched Mew dance around in the sky.

Mewtwo didn't enjoy that answer and was now looking even more upset. "My clones don't need special powers to prove their worth," Mewtwo explained as he shot a shadow ball at Mew, but missed again, instead hitting the statue Ash was on.

* * *

Running down the hallway, Nick stopped for a second when he heard an explosion. "Something's happening in there, Eevee, we need to hurry."

"Vee," the normal type responded as he jumped onto Nick's shoulder.

Now without having to wait for Eevee, Nick could run even faster and hopefully make it back in time. "I don't know how much help we'll be, but we're on our way," he said out loud, hoping the others knew.

* * *

Stones started to fall from the statues as they continued to get damaged from Mewtwo's failed attacks. Team Rocket and Kegan watched as stones were now falling around them. Moving quickly, the four of them ran across the stadium to a safer place.

"M-Magby!" Kegan yelled out before stopping completely. He then ran over to the live coal pokemon and embraced him in a hug. "I was so worried. I looked everywhere for you, but I couldn't find you," he explained while pulling on Magby's arm. "Come on, we need to get out of here."

"Mag, magby," the fire type explained as he pulled his arm back. The live coal pokemon then glared down his clone, ready to fight with it.

"Magby, what are you doing?" Kegan asked as he stood there.

"Hey, kid, get out of there!" Meowth called out. Knowing that Magby wasn't listening, Kegan decided to leave him for now even though he didn't want to.

* * *

"I will block all of the pokemon's special abilities using my psychic powers," Mewtwo explained to his counterpart as they looked at each other. "Now we will see who triumphs, go!" He yelled out as all of the pokemon charged from both sides with the exception of a few.

"We finally made it!" Nick yelled as he rushed into the room. Upon seeing the chaos, Nick couldn't help but feel sad for the situation. There was no need for this senseless act of fighting. "Hey, you two with the white shirts, what's happening?" He asked as he walked over to Team Rocket.

"Both sides are preparing for a lot trouble," Jessie stated as she watched the pokemon going at it.

"Not to mention that it'll be double the usual amount," James added in as he looked at both the clones and original pokemon.

"They're not trying to protect themselves from any devastation."

"Or even unite themselves within their very own nation."

"The least they could do is denounce the evils of truth and love."

"Or maybe just leave for the stars above?"

"James?"

"Yes, Jessie."

"If this was us we'd be blasting off at the speed of light."

"I think it's best if we surrender now and don't try to fight."

"Meowth, will you two shut up!" Meowth said, scratching both of their faces. Unknown to any of them, the three of them just accidently recited a variation of their motto.

"Where have I heard something just like that?" Nick asked himself before deciding that there was better things to be doing right now.

* * *

Ash meanwhile was climbing back up the statue as he was now hanging there due to Mewtwo's last attack. Once back on solid ground, he took a good look down at the field. The scene was horrible, all of the pokemon were brutally attacking each other. "This has to stop," he muttered before starting his descent off of the statue.

All of the pokemon were fighting each other with the intent of killing their opposite. All of them were strangling each other or biting them. Eventually, the pokemon were starting to become too tired. One by one, both clones and original pokemon started to collapse from fatigue.

* * *

"Pokemon aren't meant to fight," Nurse Joy stated sadly as she watched the event unfold. "Not like this, it's useless. What can come out of it?"

"Nothing but pain," Neesha answered even though everyone knew it.

"Why can't Mewtwo understand it's not right to force pokemon to battle this way," Brock asked as the pokemon who still stood continued battling.

"They're all living creatures. This just proves that fighting is wrong," Misty added in as even the pokemon too weak to fight tried to continue.

Blaine shook his head at the sight before him. "Mewtwo has been hurt far too greatly and it's all my fault. If I never gave the research to Dr. Smith, then Mewtwo never would have suffered."

"It wasn't your fault," Brock stated as he tried to comfort the gym leader. "You had no idea what they had planned."

"I wasn't ready for this kind of trouble," James muttered as he looked at the battle before him.

"Make that double," Jessie added in as even she couldn't handle it.

"Now I know just how horrible fighting really is," James explained as he slouched at the scene.

"Even the best of friends will fight sometimes, but not like this," Jessie said, copying Jame's action.

"I'll promise never to fight again if you do," He replied, as the duo embraced in a hug of sadness.

Off to the side, Meowth was caught off guard by the appearance of his own clone. "Ahh!" He shouted as he saw his clone sniffing him.

"Meoww," the clone stated, not having the ability to talk like his original. Right away, both Meowth pulled their claws out and were ready to do battle.

"What am I doing?" Meowth asked himself as he retracted his claws. His clone also stopped and decided to sit on the ground. "L-let's get something straight you copycat, you aren't going to push this Meowth around," he told the clone who was too busy scratching himself to care.

"Meow, meowww," the clone replied, giving Meowth a look showing just how little he cared about being a clone of someone else.

"You mean, we don't have to fight with each other? But how can I trust you, you was born different?" Meowth asked, still not sure if his clone could be trusted.

"Meow, meow," the clone replied as he looked at Meowth's claws.

Meowth looked down and realized what almost happened. "I almost made a clawful mistake. But how do I know you're not going to pull a fast one on me?"

"Meow, meow, meow," it stated again, this time looking up at the moon.

Following his clones eyes, Meowth noticed just how beautiful the moon was tonight and understood what his clone was saying. "You're right. We do have a lot in common. The same Earth, the same air, the same sky."

"Meow," the clone stated once more, not taking his eyes off of the moon.

"Yeah," Meowth agreed as he sat down next to the clone. "Maybe if we started looking at what's the same, instead of always looking at what's different, well, who knows?"

"Meow," the clone responded again, not really caring about what Meowth had to say.

* * *

"M-Magby!" Kegan cried out as he saw his partner fall to the ground. "Come on get up!" He stated before trying to run out to the fire type. Just as he was about to run out, he felt something holding him back.

"You can't go out there, it's too dangerous," Nick stated as he held Kegan back.

"But, he's hurt," Kegan cried, trying to hold back tears as in his eyes, they were uncool. "I can't just leave him out there."

Sighing, Nick let go of Kegan's arm and sprinted out to the exhausted Magby. "The things I do for other people," Nick muttered as he lifted Magby onto his back. "You know Eevee, today has been like, I don't know, maybe the third or fourth time I've nearly died this year," He joked as the normal type ran right alongside Nick. "Maybe next time we should just turn down any invitations from strange pokemon."

"Vee, eevee," he cried out in agreement as they reached Kegan.

"Magby!" Kegan cried as he hugged the fire type. "Please be okay."

"D-don't worry," Nick panted due to the sprint. "He should be fine, he's just exhausted. But still, this needs to end before something else happens," he stated as he looked out onto the field. It seemed even the clones and pokemon didn't want to fight anymore as tears filled their eyes with every hit. Nick then heard a thud and looked to his left, there getting up off the ground was Ash. "If anyone can figure out a way to stop this, it's him," Nick muttered before sprinting after Ash.

* * *

"We've got to stop this," Ash muttered as he was helped onto his feet by Brock and Misty.

Brock looked at him with a confused look on his face, they had already tried everything but nothing worked. "But how? All Mewtwo cares about is proving how strong those super clones are."

"I'd rather risk my life out in Mewtwo's storm than watch these Pokémon destroy each other," Nurse Joy stated as she watched a few more pokemon collapse from fatigue.

"Oh, me, too!" Misty added as they heard a loud thud. Looking over, they all witnessed Ash's Charizard collapse on the ground alongside its clone.

"Trust me," Nick started to say as he came up from behind the group. "That storm wasn't that fun," he stated before noticing that his Charizard was the last one standing before collapsing alongside the others. "Yes, my Charizard lasted the longest!" He cried out while doing a little fist pump.

"You're celebrating at a time like this!?" Misty yelled, obviously upset at Nick's reaction.

"H-hey, take it easy," Nick stated as he pushed the angry red head out of his face. "I got caught up in the moment. But, that egg thing with you, what was its name?"

Misty just glared at the boy. "You ask something like that at a time like now?" She asked, not really believing what was going on.

Nick shrugged his shoulders as he started to walk away. "Hey, I just figured I'd ask now in case we all die. I'm curious about something I've never seen before."

"Now isn't the time. I'll tell you after," Misty stated as she turned away from Nick.

"I wish there was some way to stop them. I don't know what to do!" Nurse Joy yelled out as even more pokemon collapsed.

Brock just shook his head as he watched the fighting continue. "I don't think they'll ever stop. Those Pokémon look like they're ready to fight to the death."

Misty shook her head alongside Brock as she couldn't take this anymore. "That's a fight that nobody's going to win."

"Someone's gotta take a stand. Someone's gotta say "no," and refuse to fight. Just like Pikachu," Ash stated as everyone looked at Ash's best friend refusing to fight even though his clone was smacking him across the face.

A sly smirk crossed Nick's face as he looked across the field. "Well, I always know of one pokemon who refuses to fight for me," he joked as he pointed over to his Dragonair. "He always sleeps no matter what, kind of funny that his clone does the same thing," he continued to joke until the feeling of pain rushed through his head. Looking over his shoulder, he could tell that Misty had just socked him with her fist. "Ow! What was that for?"

"You're still joking around despite how serious it is right now!?" She yelled at the rookie trainer.

"Samurai and Janine are more fun," Nick muttered as he continued to hold his head. "They would have given me a pity laugh."

* * *

Down on the field, the two psychic types continued their battle as their powerful auras surrounded their bodies. Blue for Mewtwo and pink for Mew. The two beings crashed into each other, only to bounce back. The duo then shot their aura at each other, causing an explosion.

Seeing the fighting only getting worse, Ash broke into a sprint as he headed right for the two psychic types.

Brock, noticing it first yelled out to him. "Ash, wait!"

Ash didn't listen, he didn't care what happened to himself he just had to stop the fighting. "You've gotta stop right now!" He yelled out, reaching the center of the battlefield right as the two psychic types launched their attacks. "Stooooop-!" He yelled out right as the blasts hit him. Upon impact, Ash's body started to glow before becoming rock hard and lifeless.

"Ash!" Misty cried out as she waited for him to get up.

Seeing that this wasn't ending well, Brock didn't know what to say. "Oh, no!" Was all he could yell out.

Even Pikachu was in shock. "Pika, pi!"

"That Fool!" Mewtwo cried out as he too had a look of shock and disbelief. "Trying to stop our battle... he risked his life. Just... like the others," he muttered, remembering the actions of the others.

Mew looked at the human, waiting for him to get back up as well. "Mew?" It asked, wondering why he didn't get back up.

Pikachu couldn't wait any longer. The electric type rushed over to his partner and sat next to him. "Pika, pi! Pikachu?" He asked, shaking Ash's body only to get no response. "Pika. Pika, pi." He cried out, continuing to shake Ash. "Pika, pi. Pika, Chu!" He continued to cry out, shocking Ash countless times only to get no response at all. Tears started to fill the electric type's eyes. "Pika, Chu, Chu, Chu!" Each time, more and more electricity would shock Ash, but there would be no result.

"Please, no..." Misty begged as she watched the lifeless body.

Pikachu continued to shock Ash, only to get no reaction. Finally giving up, Pikachu started to cry over his best friend's body. Joining him was every single pokemon in room, original and clone. They had all witnessed this boy's sacrifice and it was for them.

Then, to the surprise of everyone, the tears didn't hit the ground. Instead, they all flew right to Ash's body. The tears continued to fly towards Ash's body until he started to shine.

"Pika?" Pikachu asked as Ash's body started to shine even brighter before turning back to normal. "Pi?" he asked, shocked to see Ash. "Pika!" The electric type shouted, but this time it was out of joy as he leapt into Ash's arms.

"Huh?" Ash asked himself as he looked around, unsure of what just happened. "Oh, Pikachu!" He cried out happily once he noticed the electric mouse in his arms.

Mewtwo looked down at the scene before him, he was starting to think differently of some people as he thought back to the man who battled him and of the boy who took the attack head on for his pokemon. "A human sacrificed himself to save the Pokémon. I pitted them against each other, but not until they set aside their differences did I see the _true_ power they all share deep inside."

"Mew," the psychic type agreed with his clone as he flew next to Mewtwo.

Mewtwo continued to fly next to Mew as he was having a revelation. "I see now that the circumstances of one's birth are irrelevant. It is what you do with the gift of life that determines who you are."

The two psychic types started to glow their respective colors before the ground started to glow white as well.

"M-Mewtwo, what's happening?" Ash asked as everyone on the island started to float as well.

"I am leaving this island for somewhere that my heart can learn what you and your friends know so well. I will remember everything that happened here and learn from this experience. But perhaps for everyone here it is best that you forget."

"No way!" Ash yelled as he went towards Mewtwo. "We deserve to remember this so that we can also learn from our own mistakes."

"I understand where you are coming from, but I do not trust everyone to keep my existence a secret," Mewtwo explained as he snapped his fingers. As he did so, everyone in the room except for Nick, Blaine and Ash were frozen in place. "You three will be the only ones to remember. Everyone else will have a memory of the events minus everything that happened following my entrance. They will have no knowledge of my existence either."Then, in a bright white light, everything disappeared.

* * *

Once the light faded, everyone, even Nick, Blaine and Kegan, were all back at the Old Shore Wharf docks. Outside, the weather was starting to let up, but the dock transportation building was still packed.

"Knew it," Nick muttered to himself as he looked at Blaine and Kegan. "Ready to meet up with the others?"

"But, you said they would meet us at Pallet Town?" Kegan asked as he saw the same boat from Cinnabar Island that he was supposed to be on. "H-how'd we beat them here?"

Nick and Blaine just looked at each other before giving sly grins. They both knew how it occurred, but they promised Mewtwo not to tell.

"So, you lost already?" Samurai jokingly teased as he nudged the side of Nick's waist.

"No, there was only a few trainers who actually made it. The storm turned out to be a lot worse than we thought," Nick explained as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Tell me about it," Janine said as she joined in. "If it wasn't for the fact that we left when we did, we'd be stuck on Cinnabar Island until tomorrow."

"Now, really, how far did you make it?" Samurai asked as he threw his arm around Nick's shoulder. "You were probably out first."

"No!" Nick yelled at his friend.

"Yeah you were," Kegan stated, 'remembering the battle' that happened.

Nick was about to argue when a memory of the battle came to him. "I didn't lose, Dragonair just wouldn't battle so I got disqualified!" He yelled at Kegan. _"Man, Mewtwo made some good memories up,"_ Nick thought to himself as another thought came to his head. "I was never told what that pokemon was!" He yelled out before tears rolled from his face.

"What?" Both Janine and Samurai asked as they looked at Nick and then to Blaine, hoping to get an answer.

"Long story, short, Nick saw a rare pokemon not native to Kanto. His pokedex lacked data on it and he forgot to ask the trainer what kind of pokemon it was," Blaine explained the whole situation with ease.

* * *

 **And the whole ordeal with Mewtwo is over. Mewtwo will not be around for the rest of Kanto, but will be making a few more appearances throughout Johto.**

 **Now, I might not be updating for a few weeks. I want to write a few chapters ahead, so that way if I get busy during the week I still can update the story. What I have been doing up until now has been writing the story through the week and then reviewing and fixing it right when I finished writing each chapter. From now on, I want to have at least two extra chapters finished before I update.**

 **Thank you for understanding. Also, thank you to everyone who has continued to support this story and for reading. Please leave a review telling me how I can improve and what you enjoyed.**

 **Team:**

 **Nick- 9 badges:**

 **Eevee- swift, quick attack, dig, shadow ball**

 **Kingler- water gun, crabhammer, stomp, mud shot**

 **Charizard- flamethrower, air slash, dragon tail, brick break**

 **Pidgeotto – tackle, quick attack, sand-attack, gust**

 **Hitmonchan- mach punch, agility, comet punch, thunder punch**

 **Dragonair- Twister, Ice beam, Dragon Tail, Shock Wave**

 **At Oak's:**

 **Beedrill- poison sting, fury attack, twinneedle, hyper beam**

 **Shellder**

 **Gastly- night shade, venoshock, hypnosis, dark pulse**

* * *

 **Samurai- league exam badge:**

 **Pinsir- x-scissor, earthquake, harden, revenge**

 **Venonat- supersonic, poison fang, confusion, signal beam**

 **Parasect- energy ball, stun spore, fury cutter, slash**

 **Sandshrew- Rollout, mud-slap, dig, scratch**

 **Golduck- Fury Swipes, Water Pulse, Screech**

 **At home:**

 **Butterfree- aerial ace, sleep powder**

* * *

 **Janine- league exam badge:**

 **Venonat- psybeam, foresight,**

 **Golbat- wing attack, hypnosis, venoshock, shadow ball**

 **Grimer- flamethrower, poison jab, minimize, mud-slap**

 **Vulpix- ember, flame charge, attract, energy ball**


End file.
